Studio Ghibli Takes A Bow At Cannes With An Honorary Palme D’Or

CANNES, France — The Cannes Film Festival honored Studio Ghibli, the Japanese cartoon factory of surreal ecological wonders that has captivated moviegoers for 39 years, with tales of Totoros, enchanted jellyfish, and floating castles, on Monday with an honorary Palme d’Or.

In the 22 years that Cannes has given out honorary Palmes, Ghibli’s prize was the first for anything other than an individual filmmaker or actor. (This year’s other winners include George Lucas and Meryl Streep.) Hayao Miyazaki, the 83-year-old animation genius who co-founded Studio Ghibli with Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki in 1985, did not attend the ceremony but spoke via video message from Japan.

Studio Ghibli | AP News Image

Studio Ghibli Takes A Bow At Cannes With An Honorary Palme D’Or

“I don’t understand any of this,” Miyazaki replied. “But thank you.”

At Cannes, where standing ovations may last for hours, Ghibli’s envoys — Goro Miyazaki (son of Hayao) and Kenichi Yoda — received one of the festival’s most thunderous responses. Thierry Fremaux, Cannes’ creative director, walked across the platform of the Grand Théâtre Lumière to shoot the extended ovation, which he stated will be sent to Miyazaki via video.

“With this Palme d’Or, we’d like to thank you for all the magic you’ve brought to cinema,” said Iris Knobloch, the festival’s president, who presented the award.

Studio Ghibli | AP News Image

Studio Ghibli Takes A Bow At Cannes With An Honorary Palme D’Or

The occasion was honored not with a new Ghibli picture but by four previously unreleased short films outside of Japan. “Mei and the Baby Cat Bus,” a minor sequel to Miyazaki’s 1989 film “My Neighbor Totoro,” grows the Cat Bus from that classic to a full fleet of cat conveyances, most notably the small Baby Cat Bus

The films were all created for the Studio Ghibli Museum outside Tokyo, including “Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess,” a culinary-themed desert for Miyazaki’s 2001 film “Spirited Away.” The other two—”House Hunting” and “Boro the Caterpillar”—create acoustic mini-adventures for forest critters.

Miyazaki’s long-awaited “The Boy and the Heron” won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in March, so the Studio Ghibli party came soon after. (A documentary on its making, “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron,” was also shown at Cannes.)

Studio Ghibli | AP News Image

Studio Ghibli Takes A Bow At Cannes With An Honorary Palme D’Or

Miyazaki also sat out at the ceremony. Goro Miyazaki, whose own films include “From Up on Poppy Hill” and “Tales From Earthsea,” revealed that they had to wrap the Oscar in a hotel towel before bringing it home to his father. On Monday, he was relieved that the Cannes prize is portable.

“I’m reassured seeing the Palme d’Or was in a box,” he remarked, smiling.

SOURCE – (AP)