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In a rare public appearance, filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki spoke to Tokyo University lecturer and author Roland Kelts in front of a sold out audience at Zellerbach Auditorium on Saturday, July 25. This was the grand finale to a two week Miyazaki retrospective which included a Bay Area premiere screening of his latest film, Ponyo on the Cliffs, to be widely released on August 14.

Miyazaki received the 2009 Berkeley Japan Prize from the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of California, Berkeley in a separate ceremony earlier that day. He is the second recipient of this award, originally established in 2008 as part of the Center for Japanese Studies’ fiftieth year anniversary. The prize is awarded to people in all fields who have influenced the world’s understanding of Japan and Japanese culture over their lifetime. Author Haruki Murakami (Kafka on the Shore, After Dark) was the first recipient in 2008.

During the nearly two hour long conversation, Miyazaki and Kelts discussed (via a translator) some of the themes of his films and thoughts on the industry. Miyazaki gave a little commentary on creating Ponyo as well as his own thought processes when creating films. This was then followed by an audience question and answer segment.

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This post was submitted by Ira Goodwin.

Shown in the original Japanese 35mm prints with English subtitles.

Location: Pacific Film Archive, UC Berkeley

For film descriptions and to purchase tickets, please visit:

http://bampfa.berkeley.edu/filmseries/miyazaki_2009

Shown in the original Japanese 35mm prints with English subtitles.

Location: Pacific Film Archive, UC Berkeley

For film descriptions and to purchase tickets, please visit:

http://bampfa.berkeley.edu/filmseries/miyazaki_2009

Location: 2223 Fulton Street, 6th Floor conference room
Free and open to the public
Leading scholars of Japanese popular culture, literature, and film will discuss Hayao Miyazaki’s work and his international influence in a roundtable panel discussion.

Location: Wheeler Hall
Tickets: Full price $12, UCB students $9 [Buy tickets]

The Center for Japanese Studies, in conjunction with the Pacific Film Archive, is pleased to present the Northern California premiere of Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film, Ponyo, to be screened at Wheeler Hall on Friday, July 24, 2009. Ponyo (Gake no ue no Ponyo) follows the adventures of an intrepid goldfish and a young boy named Sosuke, who rescues her from a bottle among debris that human beings have inflicted upon the ocean. In this playful story of Ponyo’s rebellious desire to become human and of the relationships between children and parents, the great director again proves his peerless ability to connect with the keen perception and heart of a young child, while creating a world that speaks truths to adults as well. Among the many brilliant passages achieved through Miyazaki’s hand drawn animation are the artist’s irresistible depiction of a paradisal undersea realm and a wild tempest caused by Ponyo’s willfulness. The English-language version features the voices of Cate Blanchett, Noah Cyrus (Ponyo), Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Frankie Jonas (Sosuke), Cloris Leachman, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin, and Betty White.” Executive Producers are John Lasseter, Kathleen Kennedy, and Frank Marshall; the film is released in the U.S. by Walt Disney Pictures.

Gake no ue no Ponyo (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea) was Japan’s biggest box office hit in 2008. Ponyo also won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Animation of the year and, by special invitation, was screened at the 2008 Venice Film Festival.

This event is cosponsored by the Center for Japanese Studies and the Pacific Film Archive.

Hayao Miyazaki in Conversation

For this extremely rare U.S. appearance, Hayao Miyazaki will be interviewed on stage, followed by a question and answer period with the audience. Join us for an opportunity to engage Miyazaki in a conversation about more than just anime — the social issues and ideas that his films champion, including the future of Japan and the role of the artist in a rapidly evolving world.

Details: http://ieas.berkeley.edu/cjs/miyazaki.html#2009.07.25event
Location: Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley
Tickets: $25, UCB students $10 [Buy Tickets]

Miyazaki-sensei will be visiting the U.S. this July for the very last time a) to pick up the Berkeley Japan award, b) because he’s contractually obligated to Disney to make a U.S. appearance, before returning to Japan to crank out the two last movies he’s got in him. The award event is taking place at U.C. Berkeley on July 25th [...].

Source: http://genuinearticle.wordpress.com/2009/05/19/hayao-miyazaki-is-coming/