Will Hayao Miyazaki ever lay down his pencil? A new animated short, produced by students of the Gobelins Paris art school in just five days (and first highlighted by Catsuka), imagines what would happen if the Studio Ghibli founder actually committed to the non-work life. In the adorable one-minute film Miyazaki, Hayao finally rings in retirement and gets a taste of life away from the lightbox. It… does not go so well.
The legendary animator and Studio Ghibli founder has threatened to retire a number of times over the years, but just can’t quit. A retirement announcement after Princess Mononoke led to Spirited Away… then Ponyo… then The Wind Rises, which he swore in very public venues was his final movie. This time he was actually retired! Then he made The Boy and the Heron.
At 84 years old, many assumed The Boy and the Heron was truly the end, the Oscar-winning film heralded as a master’s final film. But…
“He doesn’t feel that way at all,” Studio Ghibli executive Junichi Nishioka said in September 2023. “He is currently working on ideas for a new film. He comes into his office every day and does that. This time, he’s not going to announce his retirement at all. He’s continuing working just as he has always done.”
Miyazaki can’t quit — and maybe that’s OK. As depicted in a number of documentaries, including the riveting The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, the filmmaker seems to find peace smoking a cigarette and drawing airplanes soaring across blue skies. Serenity… through the hell of feature-length animation. “I don’t ever feel happy in my daily life,” he admits in Kingdom. “Filmmaking only brings suffering.”
Yeah, but just imagine how retirement would feel! Miyazaki, in a style reminiscent of Miyazaki cohort Isao Takahata’s My Neighbors the Yamadas, paints the picture.
For more on the team behind Miyazaki, head to Instagram.
Source：https://www.polygon.com/animation-cartoons/515088/miyzaki-short-film-retirement
