Isao Takahata Book Explores Art of Emotion

Wednesday, October 22, 2008
By: Ryan Ball

Italian writer Mario A. Rumor has informed us of a book he has written on master anime director Isao Takahata. Published by Guaraldi in Italy, the 400-page tome titled The Art of Emotion—Isao Takahata’s Animated Films takes an in-depth look at the works of the animation legend who co-founded Studio Ghibli with Oscar winner Hayao Miyazaki.

Takahata’s credits include the TV classics Alps no Shojo Heidi (Heidi, Girl of the Alps, 1974), 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (1976) and Akage no An (Anne of Green Gables, 1979), as well as the anime features Horosu no Daiboken (Hols: Prince of the Sun, 1968), Gauche the Cellist (1982), Chie the Brat (1982), Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Omohide Poro Poro (1991) and funny Pom Poko (1994). His final film, the Studio Ghibli-produced Tonari no Yamada-kun (My Neighbors the Yamadas) debuted in 1999.

Rumor says The Art of Emotion was written over nine years and is designed to complement Takahata’s own 1991 book, Eiga wo Tsukuri Nagara Kangeata Koto (Thoughts While Making Movies), by examining the creation of the filmmaker’s greatest movies. The book’s preface is written by French director Michel Ocelot (Azur et Asmar), a long-time friend of Takahata.

A film critic and freelance writer, Rumor has written the books Like Dolls: Japanese Girl’s Comics (2005) and The New American Empire of TV Series (2005). He has also written for such publications as DVD World, eMotion, Fox Men, Widescreen Magazine, Fumo di china, Writers Magazine, Telefilm Magazine and Retro.

Reader Comments

• kern :

  Thursday, October 23, 2008

  I hope that your description of My Neighbors, The Yamatas as Takahata\'s \"final\" film is in error, and not based on information unavailable to me.
  
  Yamatas IS Takahata\'s \"last film to date\" or \"latest film.\" According to Studio Ghibli, Takahata is at work on a new Ghibli feature film. Details on the film are expected to be released in December.

• Wanderson : Student : none

  Saturday, November 22, 2008

  I´m looking forward, and it has a long time, to find a place where I can buy on DVD Takahata´s V classic \\\\\\\" 3000 Leagues in Search of a Mother\\\\\\\". This TV serie is also called MARCO in other countries.
  Do you have any idea where I can get it?
  Thanks a lot,
  Wanderson
  P.s: my e-mail is wbezerra@hotmail.com