'Hayao Miyazaki' Close-Up: A Seven-Year Record After His Retirement Reversal, Documentary on Studio Ghibli’s Workshop Set for Release

The Heart of 'Studio Ghibli' Awakens: Breaking Seven Years of Silence

The Hidden Seven Years of a Master—'Studio Ghibli' Returns to the Screen

An enduring legend of Japanese animation, 'How Do You Live?', a 'documentary' film that closely tracked the secretive yet fiercely driven seven years of 'Hayao Miyazaki', has confirmed that it will open in Korea on the 15th.

'Retirement Reversal' and the Pain of Creation Hidden Behind Oscar Glory

This work traces the challenging journey from the early planning stages to the final release of 'How Do You Live?', which won the 2024 U.S. Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. In particular, it sharply captures the pivotal moments of 'Hayao Miyazaki', who, after his 2013 official retirement announcement stunned the world, had no choice but to reverse course and pick up the pen once again.

Character Backstories First Revealed and the Inner Workings of the Creative Space

The film lays bare before the public, without edits, the distinctive, closed-off, mysterious workshop atmosphere of 'Studio Ghibli'. Viewers will be immersed as if they are seeing the master’s creative space firsthand. In addition, a key behind-the-scenes revelation—how the film’s diverse characters were created based on real-life figures surrounding the actual director—is disclosed for the first time through interviews, adding even more value as documentary material.

Loss and Solidarity: Shedding Light on the Master as a Philosopher

Beyond a simple behind-the-scenes account of production, the film delves deeply into the human side of things: the close bond with colleagues he spent years alongside, the profound longing for friends he lost to illness and age, who passed away first, and much more. By recording the creator’s unvarnished anguish and despair behind the gentle smile familiar to the public, it creates a heavy resonance.

A Perfect Perspective Forged by 20 Years of Determination—Director Kaku Arakawa

Director Kaku Arakawa, who followed 'Studio Ghibli'’s footsteps over an incredible span of 20 years, took the helm. He portrays 'Hayao Miyazaki'’s everyday life and artistic world with the most objective and truthful viewpoint possible, bringing the credibility of the 'documentary' to its highest peak.