The Natural World of Studio Ghibli, recently presented at The Ford, was a thoughtful and stunning choice for the Summer Night series of family-friendly events.
The Ford screened a trio of nature-inspired Miyazaki anime films, including “The Boy and the Heron,” “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “The Wind Rises.”
Hayao Miyazaki, director of the films, is one of the most celebrated directors worldwide, receiving hundreds of awards, including two Academy Awards for his 2003 film “Spirited Away” and again in 2023 for his latest film, “The Boy and the Heron.”
The art of Miyazaki’s films, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, is masterful and the outdoor venue was the perfect location to watch the rich landscapes in the Japanese animation films that challenge the relationship between humans and nature, fantasy and reality, love and life’s tragedies.
For decades, the films from Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki have been connecting with audiences the world over. Miyazaki invited moviegoers to see the world as he knew it, using his truly once-in-a-lifetime skills as a director, writer and animator to show worlds that blend the fantastic and the real, the mechanical and the natural and all the ways it comes together in our lives.
The audience at The Ford, made up of appreciative fans, easily answered trivia questions before watching the films, before settling in for the night’s screening of “The Wind Rises.”
“The Wind Rises” (2013) was originally intended to be Miyazaki’s final film and was seen as his farewell to the creative world, though he would later come out of his supposed retirement for another film.
In this film, Miyazaki’s talents as a director are on full display: the stunning watercolors of the landscapes and the incredible detail in every object, the weight of each motion and flow of the wind itself each captured with a level of artistry only possible with animation.
A personal story that only Miyazaki could tell, “The Wind Rises” tells a fictionalized account of the life of Japanese aeronautics engineer Jiro Hirokoshi, who starts his career designing airplanes for Mitsubishi. As he pursues his dream of designing his dream experimental aircraft to modernize Japanese aeronautics, he finds a blooming romance after a chance meeting with Nahko, a girl from his past, which is threatened by the looming threat of international war.
The story of a young aircraft designer finding love and building his personal masterpiece during times of war and conflict was seen as a fitting final piece for director Miyazaki, who was a known fan of engineering and historical aircraft.
In the film, Jiro sees the Italian airplane designer Giovanni Caproni in his dreams and they share their views on creation and design. While “The Wind Rises” ultimately was not Miyazaki’s final film, the conversation between the artist and their art and what it means to live through times of conflict and tragedy rings true today.
Many More Summer Events
The summer series of events at The Ford is continuing with many more eclectic offerings, including talent from the Northeast San Fernando Valley. On Aug. 7, Ballet Folklorico Ollin will be special guests performing alongside Leyendas del Mariachi (the Legends of Mariachi), the top musicians pulled from Mariachi Vargas, Los Camperos, Nuevo Tecalitlán, Cobre and América for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the esteemed art form.
For more information about upcoming performances, visit The Ford’s official website: https://www.theford.com/, to browse the season calendar and filter by genre to discover a diverse selection of performances, including music, dance, theatre, film, and family events.
Next Week: The San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol covers the announcement that Consuelo “Chelo” Montoya has been hired as the new director at The Ford.