Cannes

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Studio Ghibli's latest film, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, premiered at Cannes today at the Quinzaine des Realisateurs, although it has already been releashed for months in Japan.  Studio Ghibli is most well known for founder Hayao Miyazaki, but this latest feature comes from Miyazaki's co-founder and good friend Isao Takahata (the two often worked in parallel).  Representatives from Disney France were there to introduce the film on his behalf (Disney France has been distributing Ghibli movies for 15 years). 

Takahata has been an extremely important influence in animation, as well as being very avant-garde, with techniques likes camera movement in animation, as well as his depth of facial expression.  Said one Disney France representative, "he changes our gaze and way of looking at things." Takahata certainly took his latest film in a completely new direction for Ghibli, animation wise. The style was simple, at times very sketch-like even, but also rendered a style reminiscent of both old fairy tale picture books and japanese prints. As well it should, as the film is based on an old Japanese folk tale, The Bamboo-cutter's Daugher. 

The tale follows a young girl magically delivered to a poor bamboo cutter and his wife, who then raise her to be a noblewoman, (hence Princess Kaguya), her long line of suitors afterward, and her struggle to find what she wants from her life.  

Audience reaction was very positive walking out of the film. It was called "beautiful", as it undeniably was (see the trailer below). It had "everything one could want from a film: romance, comedy, agnst, music..." and so on.  At least one person was heard whistling the tune from the film exiting the theatre. 

The attention to building the character and plot was praised.  One movie-goer called it "very subtle, and very sensitive, exactly what I expected from this director". 

his is Takahata's fifth film for Studio Ghibli, and his first in 14 years since his 1999 feature, My Neighbors the Yamadas.