MIYAZAKI DEAREST

You have to give Japan's master animator, Hayao Miyazaki, credit for being brutally honest. In an interview with Daily Yomiuri about the three new short Ghibli films at the Ghibli museum, Miyazaki is asked for his comments on the rancorous relationship between himself and his son, Goro, who is directing the Ghibli movie based on TALES FROM EARTHSEA.

"I won't say anything [about the movie], lend a hand or even look it over. I'm not involved in any way. I'm keeping myself to myself in my studio as whenever we see each other we quickly start to feel tension.

The relationship between a parent and a child isn't easy or simple. And I myself have my own standards to evaluate other people as professionals--whoever they may be.

But I'd never say, "Give up!" even if I didn't like something he was doing. I've never said anything like that to him."

The interview is full of great quotes (my favorite: "Prizes do not mean anything to me. I think it is more important to make a child aware of the existence of a weird creature like a water spider that breathes through its backside.") and you should definitely check it out. As Miyazaki says:

"Nowhere else can make shorts like these. But having said that, we're just a group of average people with poor skills. Check out Ghibli Museum."

(Thanks to Nausicaa.net for the link)