Review of “What’s Important for the Spirit: Text of a Speech to Be Given on the Occasion of Receiving the Japan Foundation Award for 2005” (2005)
Miyazaki Hayao (writer).
Read in 2021.
Read in Turning Point.
To us, the history of modern art, the differences between East and West, or tradition versus the avant-garde, have always been irrelevant. What is far more important is that this world continues to exist, far, far behind the screen, in a place invisible to the eye, way beyond the left and right edges of the screen, where the sun is shining, and animals, plants and humans are alive.
An update on “My Point of Origin” (1982), outlining a related but different vision following Ghibli’s breakthrough successes. As such, it’s interesting in its maturity, but too brief to contain a rationale.
This short speech was never given. When he actually spoke at the awards show, Miyazaki instead improvised “An Attempt at a Short Film” (2005).
References here: Turning Point: 1997–2008 (2008/2014).