Studio Ghibli receives honorary Palme d’or in Cannes
CANNES: Studio Ghibli, the Japanese anime factory of surreal ecological wonders that has for 39 years spirited away moviegoers with tales of Totoros, magical jellyfish and floating castles, was celebrated on Monday by the Cannes Film Festival with an honorary Palme d’or. In the 22 years that Cannes has been handing out honorary Palmes, the award for Ghibli was the first for anything but an individual filmmaker or actor. (This year’s other recipients are George Lucas and Meryl Streep.) Hayao Miyazaki, the 83-year-old animation master who founded Studio Ghibli in 1985 with Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki, didn’t attend the ceremony, but he spoke in a video message taped in Japan.
“I don’t understand any of this,” said Miyazaki. “But thank you.”
At Cannes, where standing ovations can stretch on end, the fervour that greeted Ghibli’s emissaries — Goro Miyazaki (son of Hayao) and Kenichi Yoda — was nevertheless among the most thunderous receptions at the festival. Thierry Fremaux, Cannes’ artistic director, walked across the stage of the Grand Théâtre Lumière filming the long ovation, he said, for a video to send to
Miyazaki. “With this Palme d’or, we’d like to thank you for all the magic you’ve brought to cinema,” said Iris Knobloch, the president of the festival, presenting the award.
The occasion wasn’t marked by any new Ghibli film but four earlier shorts that hadn’t previously been shown outside Japan. “Mei and the Baby
Cat Bus,” a brief follow-up to Miyazaki’s 1989 “My Neighbor Totoro,” expands the Cat Bus of that classic to a whole fleet of cat conveyances, most notably the mini Baby Cat Bus.
The shorts, all of which were made for the Studio Ghibli Museum outside Tokyo, included “Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess,” a culinary-themed desert for Miyazaki’s 2001 film “Spirited Away.” The other two - “House Hunting” and “Boro the Caterpillar” - make musical mini-adventures for forest creatures.
The Studio Ghibli celebration came on the heels of Miyazaki’s long-awaited “The Boy and the Heron” winning the Academy Award in March for best animated film. (A documentary on its making, “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron,” also played in Cannes.)
Miyazaki sat out that ceremony, too. Goro Miyazaki, whose own films include “From Up on Poppy Hill” and “Tales From Earthsea,” said they had to use a hotel towel to wrap the Oscar to bring home to his father. On Monday, he was relieved by the portability of the Cannes prize. “I’m reassured seeing the Palme d’or was in a box,” he said, grinning. Meanwhile, “Girls Will Be Girls,” produced by couple Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, is set to premiere at the prestigious 77th Cannes Film Festival under the Cannes Écrans Juniors category. Ali said: “From the very beginning, we knew ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ was a special project. The response at Sundance was beyond our expectations, and now premiering at Cannes is a dream come true. He praised the debutante director Suchi Talat and said that she has crafted a beautiful, poignant story that deserves this platform. “We are proud to be part of a film that not only entertains but also sparks important conversations. This is just the beginning, and we are excited for what’s to come.”
The Cannes Écrans Juniors category is a selection dedicated to international feature films that appeal to young audiences aged thirteen and over. The film will premiere in Cannes after travelling from SXSW Film Festival to the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Richa shared her excitement: “This project is very close to our hearts, and the recognition it has received so far has been overwhelming. Producing this film has been a labour of love, and to see it resonate with audiences globally is incredibly fulfilling.” “We believe in the power of stories that challenge and inspire, and ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ does just that. It’s a film that speaks to the complexities of growing up, and we can’t wait for the Cannes audience to experience it.”