Doesn’t this sound like Miyazaki movie? “…the swelling waves take the form of dolphins, and when a Japanese coastal village gets submerged no one is killed or hurt – just amusingly displaced. The rising up of the marine world is not insurrection against humanity but gently cautionary instruction for it. Treat the oceans with respect, the movie says, and they will provide you with food and wonder.” This was quoted in the Time Magazine article on Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea.
Ponyo is a story about a five year old boy who befriends a gold fish who wishes to become a human. The filmmaker uses a watercolor based look with inspiration from time spent at a rental house by a sea cliff.
Ponyo should be arriving in the states next year because Disney has agreed to distribute the film in English.
Preservation of your natural resources is so very important for humanity. I want to let you know about Sayama Forrest as one of the most remarkable urban forests (approximately 8750 acres) in Japan located right outside of Tokyo. This forest is referred as where the idea for the masterpiece “My Neighbor Totoro” originated from.
Japan’s rapid urban development in the 70’s and 80’s, the forest has been losing its land. In 1990, the director of My Neighbor Totoro, Hayao Miyazaki helped set up the national trust, Totoro no Furusato Fund to preserve the environment in the park.
Go to Totoro Project to find out more about the bidding and fundraising.
I found some images of Miyasaki’s latest project with a description of his film Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea in his own words. It’s a jewel with a true Miyasaki message.
Thanks Twitch for the lead!
Synopsis:
This is the story of Ponyo, a little fish from the sea who struggles to realize her dream of living with a boy named Sosuke. It also tells of how five-year old Sosuke manages to keep a most solemn promise.
Ponyo On The Cliff places Hans Christian Andersen’sThe Little Mermaid in a contemporary Japanese setting. It is a tale of childhood love and adventure.
A little seaside town and a house at the top of a cliff. A small cast of characters. The ocean as a living presence. A world where magic and alchemy are accepted as part of the ordinary.
The sea below, like our subconscious mind, intersects with the wave-tossed surface above. By distorting normal space and contorting normal shapes, the sea is animated not as a backdrop to the story, but as one of its principal characters.
A little boy and a little girl, love and responsibility, the ocean and life – these things, and that which is most elemental to them, are depicted in the most basic way in Ponyo On The Cliff. This is my response to the afflictions and uncertainty of our times.
One of my most favorite animators is Miyazaki. He creates beautiful stories and characters with vivid colors. His messages bring awareness to the spirit of life and the importance of the environment. I picked up his trailer to his next film, Ponyo on the Cliff, from AICN, who received the trailer from Chris Brown. It’s in Japanese but Miyazaki’s signature comes across very clear with details and character expressions.
Doesn’t this sound like Miyazaki movie? “…the swelling waves take the form of dolphins, and when a Japanese coastal village gets submerged no one is killed or hurt – just amusingly displaced. The rising up of the marine world is not insurrection against humanity but gently cautionary instruction for it. Treat the oceans with respect, the movie says, and they will provide you with food and wonder.” This was quoted in the Time Magazine article on Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea.
