The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Animation has always been at the heart of the Cinémathèque québécoise's conservation and programming activities. This program aims to rediscover some of our heritage, and to showcase recent productions.
While harvesting bamboo, a peasant finds a tiny girl whom he and his wife adopt. Convinced that she has noble origins, he wants to raise her as a princess, to the great displeasure of the girl, nostalgic for her simple rural childhood. Co-founder with Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli, Takahata's last film is a vast, moving and timeless fresco, in which his visual style reaches new heights of artistic mastery and grace.
Isao Takahata
Isao Takahata was a Japanese director, screenwriter and producer. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he earned international critical acclaim for his work as a director of Japanese animated feature films. Takahata joined Toei Animation after graduating from the University of Tokyo in 1959. He worked as an assistant director, holding various positions over the years and collaborating with colleague Hayao Miyazaki, eventually directing his own film, The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun (1968). He continued his partnership with Miyazaki, and under Nippon Animation directed the television series Heidi, Girl of the Alps (1974), 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (1976), and Anne of Green Gables (1979). Takahata, Miyazaki and others formed Studio Ghibli in 1985, where he would direct Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Only Yesterday (1991), Pom Poko (1994), and My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999). His last film as director was The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013), which was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Animated Feature Film at the 87th Academy Awards.
