Studio Ghibli
For the first time in its history, the organizing committee of the Cannes Film Festival will award a collective honorary Palme d’Or to a film studio. A bold choice to reward the hundreds of artists who have worked for nearly forty years to shape unforgettable animated worlds.
The castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Porco Rosso (1992), Princess Mononoke (1997) or even more recently The Wind Rises (2013), so many masterpieces which will have marked entire generations, and provoked strong contrary emotions (and which you can find in full on Netflix, including the rights of broadcast have just been extended).
Ghibli is an inimitable touch, recognizable stories among a thousand and a multitude of diverse artists at the helm, embodied by star directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata.
Over the course of more than twenty feature films, Studio Ghibli has captivated with works that combine poetry and humanist and ecological commitments, transporting spectators from around the world into universes that are both singular and universal. Awarded numerous times, the Studio received the Oscar for best animated film in 2002 for Spirited away (styling to the post Lilo & Stitch from Disney), and more recently this year for The Boy and the Heron (2023).
The studio’s work is often cited as a major Source of inspiration for iconic figures in the animation industry, such as John Lasseter of the Pixar studio. Fervent admirer of 2D animation and film Spirited away, the American artist’s inspirations are revealed notably in Vice-Versa (2015), a tumultuous initiatory story of a young girl faced with a family move. The themes explored in the Disney-Pixar resonate with those of Myazaki’s work, offering a similar perspective on the inner journey and challenges of late childhood.
“ I am truly honored and happy that the studio received the Honorary Palme d’Or, declares Toshio Suzuki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, in these comments collected on the website of this 77th edition. “ I thank the Cannes Film Festival from the bottom of my heart. Forty years ago, Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and I founded Studio Ghibli with the desire to bring high-level, high-quality animated films to children and adults of all ages. […]. »
The Cannes Festival took an early interest in animated cinema, with the presentation of short films by Walt Disney in 1946 and Dumbo the next year. But until then, no Studio Ghibli film had won an award on the Croisette. This will now be done, and with honors.
The award of this Honorary Palme d’Or has profound significance and is a milestone in the history of animated cinema and the 7th Art as a whole.
By honoring Studio Ghibli, the Festival recognizes not only the excellence of its achievements, but also its crucial role in the evolution of the global cinematic landscape.
Christophe Laurent
