An hour and ten minutes, you really cannot lose much over that as this extremely candid documentary chronicles the musings and work of Hayao Miyazaki after he officially retired from making animated feature films in an attempt to utilize CGI for a short film idea he had. I cannot explain the vast appeal this had for me and yet it completely reaffirms why not only art is made but why people commit to projects entirely out of passion alone. I may go on several tangents here but it's just the goddamn truth of the matter, animators are some of the most passionate and hardworking people on the face of this earth, you just HAVE to be if you step into this line of work! And I know it's kind of a meme in anime circles that Miyazaki is this depressed, exhausted, grumpy man but really look at this and there is a reason for it. He's an older man and coming to terms with it seeing friends and coworkers he's known for years passing away, he overworks and overthinks because he gives a damn about his work and wants it to be as good as it can be, he might seem stern and uncaring but that couldn't be farther from the case showcasing a love and passion for life as well as just the act of creating. I love love love how this documentary is presented, beautiful music, simple yet sometimes gorgeous shots, no voice over work, it doesn't even really have any kind of satisfactory ending but I don't give a shit. Documentaries are supposed to be brief looks into a certain figure or period of history, nothing more nothing less and that's what I get here. I've seen actually a good fair bit of behind the scenes footage and the process of animators in Japan and there's something so calming and enjoyable about it to me, I don't know if other people feel the same way but it has this style of production and ambience to it that strikes me in a certain way. Frankly that's just me and Japan as a country but it's just as present here. I will be real here, I can't draw even semi-competently so to see many people's craft in the works whether 2D or 3D is so damn cool to see! And to hear Miyazaki muse on his age, his work, and hilariously his reaction to AI art has so many nuggets of wisdom that can't be denied. And just for the hell of it I'll throw out one of mine as well, when longtime producer and friend of Miyazaki's Toshio Suzuki talks about the decline of 2D animation and CG taking the forefront my only response was, "Just because something new comes along doesn't mean you have to give up on what you're working on now.". And this documentary isn't just motivation for art people either, everyone has a passion for a field of work that could be anything and it gives you that little boost of energy and positive frame of mind. There are instances where this feels like a job instead of a passion project for me but I never lose sight of the reality of it all and I don't want anyone to be discouraged with their own work. I couldn't stress seeing this more if I tried, and I know it's probably just me but I adored this documentary to the moon and back. It's simple, it's short, it's sweet, I give it 4 stars and a sterling 10/10!
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