Touchstone Pictures will be launching Studio Ghibli’s The Wind Rises in US theaters on February 21, 2014 in limited release followed by a wide release on February 28, 2014. The gorgeous animated movie marks acclaimed filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s final film as director, and moviegoers worldwide are going to miss his unique voice.
The Plot:
In The Wind Rises, Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted from a young age and unable to be a pilot, Jiro joins a major Japanese engineering company in 1927 and becomes one of the world’s most innovative and accomplished airplane designers.
The film chronicles much of his life, depicting key historical events, including the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the Great Depression, the tuberculosis epidemic and Japan’s plunge into war. Jiro meets and falls in love with Nahoko, and grows and cherishes his friendship with his colleague Honjo. Writer/director Hayao Miyazaki pays tribute to engineer Jiro Horikoshi and author Tatsuo Hori in this epic tale of love, perseverance, and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world.
The Wind Rises Trivia [Courtesy of Studio Ghibli and Touchstone Pictures]
- The Wind Rises was released in Japan in July 2013, topping the Japanese box office and the $100 million mark.
- Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most influential and admired filmmakers and a major figure in the Japanese cinematic landscape. His films have inspired moviegoers and colleagues around the world, from Pixar’s John Lasseter to fantasist Guillermo del Toro to Chinese director Tsui Hark, and consistently top the box office in his native Japan.
- Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata.
- Hayao Miyazaki has directed eight feature films, including the Oscar®-winning Spirited Away (2001), as well as My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) and Ponyo (2008), among others. The Wind Rises marks his last film as his retirement plans were announced in 2013.
- The title The Wind Rises comes from a novel of the same name by Tatsuo Hori, who took a line from Paul Valery’s poem, “Le vent se Leve, il faut tenter de vivre” – The wind is rising. We must try to live.
