In the summer of 2023, a new feature film by Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki will premiere.
The animated film “How are you?” is inspired by the novel of the same name by Genzaburo Yoshino. The work has become a classic in Japan since its publication in 1937.
The book ‘s abstract reads:
“How are you?” tells about a fifteen-year-old boy Junichi Honda, nicknamed Koper-kun, who recently lost his father. The book begins with the fact that he observes the life of his hometown Tokyo, thousands of people below and begins to ponder important life issues. How many people are there in the world? How is their life going? Are people really made up of molecules? The narrative in book b is interspersed between the story of Koper and the entries in the diary of his beloved uncle, in which he gives advice and helps Koper to learn the main truths about the structure of the world. During the year of his life, Coper, like Copernicus, from whom he got his nickname, goes through the path of philosophical enlightenment and uses his discoveries about heaven, earth and human nature to find a better way of life. Yoshino perfectly conveys the beauty and strangeness of pre—war Japan – the change of seasons, fried tofu and taiyaki, picturesque landscapes with lush vegetation, while Koper explores the city on his bike and learns from friends and family what is really important in life.”
Speaking about this animated film, Miyazaki said: “I’m shooting this cartoon because… I don’t have an answer. I just wanted to.”
Hayao Miyazaki became the first animated film director to receive the Japanese Academy Award for the best Film of the year (“Princess Mononoke”, 1997). His film “Gone with the Ghosts” (2001) is considered one of the cult films of his era, he was awarded such awards as the prize of the Japanese Film Academy, the Golden Bear of the Berlin Film Festival in 2002, the Oscar in 2003.
