More than just a director of animation, Hayao Miyazaki is one of the best filmmakers (of any kind) of all time. His films are beloved and studied. You might as well just hand him an Oscar when he makes a new one. So, it’s incredibly interesting to see what all goes into the making of one of his features.
As seen in the trailer for “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron,” you get a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Oscar-winning feature, “The Boy and the Heron.” Over the course of the two-hour documentary, you see the relationship between the filmmaker and his producing partner Toshio Suzuki, as both people play off each other and Suzuki, in particular, pushes Miyazaki to go even further with his creativity. The documentary is directed by Kaku Arakawa.
“Hayoa Miyazaki and the Heron” is playing as part of this year’s Cannes Film Festival. A global release has yet to be announced. You can watch the trailer below.
Here’s the synopsis:
Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron is a two-hour documentary that chronicles the making of The Boy and the Heron, filmed with exclusive access to Studio Ghibli across an astonishing seven years. It is also a record of the collaboration between filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki as they perform an intricate dance of deception and friendship, mirroring that of Mahito and the Heron, as Suzuki pushes Miyazaki ever further into his creativity, ultimately delivering an unprecedented masterpiece.