"Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki" in theaters Dec. 13 & 18, 2018
by Gregg Chadwick "The single difference between films for children and films for adults is that in films for children, there is always the option to start again, to create a new beginning. In films for adults, there are no ways to change things." -Hayao Miyazaki* Gkids is bringing a new documentary on Hayao Miyazaki to theaters in the United States this month and I have been thinking about how inspirational Miyazaki has been to artists all over the world. Pixar animator Enrico Casarosa said, "Miyazaki has this uncanny ability to add a childish sense of wonder to his stories. He’s able to make us feel like little kids again." Miyazaki is careful to steer his work towards child-like wonder and away from childishness. Instead, Miyazaki's films have three main themes: 1. A distaste for heedless violence and warmongering. 2. Concern for the environment and a depiction of natural beauty as a counterweight to our increasingly industrialized world. 3. St...