Producer Toshio Suzuki co-founded Studio Ghibli in 1985 with directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata (The Grave of the Fireflies…), whom he had accompanied for many years. The author of In Studio Ghibli. Work while having fun (Kana, 2011), who today runs this mecca of Japanese animation, produced The Boy and the Heronin theaters Wednesday 1er november.
“The Boy and the Heron” is inspired by a novel by Genzaburo Yoshino (1899-1981), published in 1937, which greatly moved Hayao Miyazaki, the director having detected similarities with his own life. The film, which was released in July in Japan, was a success, with 56 million euros in revenue. How do you explain this success?
The Japanese title is Kimitachi wa do ikiru ka, which is often translated as “how do you live?” “. But, to better reflect the meaning, it should be translated as “what kind of person do you want to be?” or “how will you choose to live your life?” “. Many Japanese carry this philosophical question within themselves and wonder about the meaning of their life. The film was intriguing to them.
Do you expect a similar feeling among other audiences?
I think foreigners share the same questions. Westerners live in a world dominated by capitalism, which they consider a religion. They have lost the meaning of many things and are wondering. As a result, many people ask themselves this fundamental question of the meaning of life. The film is absolutely not a lesson from Miyazaki. He doesn’t tell people how to live. He said: “This is my life. And you ? How do you choose to live? » His message is more like an invitation to question oneself.
The film was not the subject of any advertising or promotional activities. For what ?
There are too many messages broadcast every day. In Japan, there are a lot of blockbusters whose distributors bombard us with advertising spots. The promotion is excessive. It no longer works with consumers. Based on this observation, we had the idea of not advertising, banking on the status of Hayao Miyazaki, known throughout the world. I wanted to see what would happen. Ultimately, the lack of promotion led to increased attention. There was a large audience and very positive reactions from the start. I add that the choice not to do advertising is, in some way, linked to the story of the film.
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