Monday, March 12, 4:00pm
UNC Charlotte main campus, Student Union
Theater
Hayao Miyazaki, Japan, 2013/126 min.
Japanese with English Subtitles
Apart from Disney, it is difficult to name a single person who has contributed more to the
art of animation or who is adored more fervently by people of all ages than Hayao
Miyazaki. The Wind Rises is reportedly the director’s last work, a personal project that
has led fans to see it as a reflection on his own storied career. It tells the story of Jiro
Horikoshi, a young boy who dreams of one day being a pilot, but because of his
nearsightedness, can never realize this dream. Instead, he becomes an engineer so
that he can at least help others take flight. The sheer wonder of flight is among the most
endearing elements of Miyazaki’s animations. In this case, however, taking flight is more
fraught than usual. Although Jiro becomes a master of his craft, his greatest
achievement is the design of the notorious “Zero,” a fighter plane used by Japanese
forces during the second world war. What happens when our greatest dreams and
flights of fancy end up being poisoned? The Wind Rises leaves us with many deep and
challenging questions, but the film is much more than this. It is also a romance, and a
paean to art and imagination, imbued with scene after scene of extraordinary beauty
and the kind of remarkable touches we have come to expect from such a master.
Made possible by a Popp Martin Student Union Theater Programming Grant awarded to the UNC Charlotte Japanese Reading Club
Introduction by Phil Kaffen, Assistant Professor, Languages and Culture Studies, UNC
Charlotte. Discussion will follow screening.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imtdgdGOB6Q
