If there is one thing we know about Hayao Miyazaki, it is that the artist is tenacious. Since he was young, the heralded director has been interested in art, and he crafted his life’s mission around the craft. From Lupin the 3rd to Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki has touched some of the biggest names in anime. And in the wake of his latest film, Miyazaki admits he’s happy he lived to see it done.
The confession comes from a proxy thanks to Toshio Suzuki, an executive producer at Studio Ghibli who helped co-found the company. Not long ago, the executive appeared before press in Japan to open the final land of Ghibli Park. It was there Suzuki talked about The Boy and the Heron, and the producer said Miyazaki was “delighted” to live through the ordeal.
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“I never thought he’d announce his retirement, then retract it, and then start working on movies again. We were never thinking about the Academy Awards. We’re just too old for that stuff. I thought we might die while making it! Miyazaki told me he was delighted that he made it to the end of the film’s production,” Suzuki said before circling back to his reaction regarding The Boy and the Heron‘s Oscar win.
“But we didn’t talk about the Academy Awards in person,” he continued. “That would be too embarrassing, you know? At this age, I don’t want to be face-to-face and say, ‘We did good, you know? So we have that kind of conversation over the phone.”
For those unaware, The Boy and the Heron did come home with an impressive Oscar. The title won Best Animated Movie at the 96th Academy Awards. The win marks a second for Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli since Spirited Away won the same award more than a decade ago. And though he didn’t see the prize coming, Miyazaki was glad to bring the Oscar home shortly after his 83rd birthday.
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