TOTAL RECALL
Saluting late genius Isao Takahata.
On 5th April, JApAnese directOr isao takahata passed away at the age of 82. One of the four founding members of studio Ghibli, takahata created some of the most distinctive animated films ever made, from the devastating wartime requiem Grave Of The Fireflies to the beautiful Oscarnominated fantasy The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya.
takahata was born in 1935 in Japan’s Mie prefecture, and spent most of his childhood in Okayama. he was nine years old when Us air raids targeted Okayama city during World War ii, and memories of running barefoot through the streets clutching his sister’s hand would ebb into his later work. A poetic soul, he went on to study French literature at the University of tokyo, and joined toei Animation upon graduation as an assistant director.
his feature debut, The Little Norse Prince, arrived in 1968. Although now celebrated as a prologue to the beloved fantasies of studio Ghibli, it was a flop in cinemas and takahata was soon demoted. disillusioned, he quit, instead embarking on a series of collaborations with former colleague hayao Miyazaki. this resulted in the two friends creating their own studio in 1985.
it was with studio Ghibli that takahata found the freedom to tell stories close to his heart. in 1988 he directed his masterpiece, Grave Of The Fireflies, following two young orphans trying to survive in the aftermath of the American bombing of Kobe. 1991’s Only Yesterday basked in the memories of a young woman who leaves tokyo to visit her family in rural Yamagata; 1994’s environmental fable Pom Poko followed a tribe of tanuki (Japanese raccoon dogs) trying to stop their settlement from being destroyed; and 1999’s My Neighbors The Yamadas presented an eccentric family saga in the form of a stylised comic strip.
it’s fair to say that takahata never received the same level of worldwide acclaim as Miyazaki, and it’s obvious why: takahata’s films were more realistic, less fantastical, rooted in small moments and quiet emotions. his last film was 2013’s breathtaking The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya about a tiny woodland princess, all painted in pale pastels. sweet and brimming with innocence, it was the perfect finale for a man who helped change the face of Japanese animation forever.
Kimberley’s favourite Takahata is Only Yesterday.