Hayao Miyazaki, considered a master of the art and winner of the Academy Award for " Spirited Away ," announced his retirement as a filmmaker. The revelation was made at the Venice Film Festival, where "The Wind Rises," the director's new animated feature film, was screened in competition for the Golden Lion. The announcement was made by his producer, Koji Hoshino of Studio Ghibli, who came to represent the production and its author, alongside actress Miori Takimoto. The announcement took everyone at the Venice Film Festival by surprise. "Miyazaki is an inexhaustible source of energy and still has a lot of energy left," exclaimed an emotional executive from Miyazaki's studio, minutes before announcing the retirement of his great mentor. Miyazaki, who has participated in the Venice Film Festival several times, has decided to end his activities as a director. He will officially confirm this next week during a press conference in Tokyo. It is unknown whether the decision is an act of protest against the controversy raised by the new animation, about the designer of Japan's most effective aircraft at the time when the country fought alongside Nazi Germany. The film's local box office is one of the best in the history of Studio Ghibli.
Discover some of Miyazaki's works:
-The Wind Rises
-Spirited Away
-My Neighbor Totoro
-Princess Mononoke
-Castle in the Sky