Environmental Issues in the Films of Hayao Miyazaki
College
College of Visual and Performing Arts
Department
Fine Arts
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Laura Dufresne,Dr. Laura Gardner, Dr. Karen Stock
Abstract
The director Hayao Miyazaki at the animation company Studio Ghibli is known for creating exciting and fantastical films. His films are generally marketed to children, yet they strike a chord with many adults who watch them. Looking at box office records, his 2001 film Spirited Away holds the record for being the highest-grossing film in Japanese history. This being said, it is understandable why Studio Ghibli’s films have international popularity. Hayao Miyazaki’s works are either his own or adapted from literature, and he incorporates many recurring themes; one of these is a focus on environmental issues, particularly pollution of the natural world. This is seen in many of his films, but especially Ponyo, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away. In these films, pollution is seen not only as destructive, but also as a call for change. All three films deal with the conflict of man’s “progress” and how it can be detrimental to the natural world, because progress can also upset the relationship between man and nature.
Course Assignment
Special Topics: Iconography, ARTH 482, Laura Dufresne
Start Date
22-4-2016 12:55 PM
End Date
22-4-2016 1:10 PM
Environmental Issues in the Films of Hayao Miyazaki
DiGiorgio Campus Center, Room 222
The director Hayao Miyazaki at the animation company Studio Ghibli is known for creating exciting and fantastical films. His films are generally marketed to children, yet they strike a chord with many adults who watch them. Looking at box office records, his 2001 film Spirited Away holds the record for being the highest-grossing film in Japanese history. This being said, it is understandable why Studio Ghibli’s films have international popularity. Hayao Miyazaki’s works are either his own or adapted from literature, and he incorporates many recurring themes; one of these is a focus on environmental issues, particularly pollution of the natural world. This is seen in many of his films, but especially Ponyo, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away. In these films, pollution is seen not only as destructive, but also as a call for change. All three films deal with the conflict of man’s “progress” and how it can be detrimental to the natural world, because progress can also upset the relationship between man and nature.
