Studio Ghibli’s “The Wind Rises” has been recognized with the Truly Moving Picture Award by nonprofit arts organization Heartland Truly Moving Pictures.
“’The Wind Rises’ is another extraordinary film from one of the best directors of the past few decades,” said Heartland’s Artistic Director Tim Irwin. “Beautifully realized, with evocative, gorgeous animation in every frame, the film manages to weave a complex and engaging story dealing with themes that are immediately intimate and sweeping. We are honored to present the Truly Moving Picture Award to ‘The Wind Rises’.”
In “The Wind Rises,” Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted from a young age and unable to be a pilot, Jiro joins a major Japanese engineering company in 1927 and becomes one of the world’s most innovative and accomplished airplane designers. The film chronicles much of his life, depicting key historical events, including the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the Great Depression, the tuberculosis epidemic and Japan’s plunge into war. Jiro meets and falls in love with Nahoko, and grows and cherishes his friendship with his colleague Honjo. Writer and director Hayao Miyazaki pays tribute to engineer Jiro Horikoshi and author Tatsuo Hori in this epic tale of love, perseverance, and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world.
An A-list roster of voice talent has been assembled for the English-language version of Studio Ghibli’s “The Wind Rises,” including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Martin Short, Stanley Tucci, Mandy Patinkin, Werner Herzog, William H. Macy, and more. The film opens in select North American theaters on Feb. 21, 2014, expanding wide on Feb. 28, 2014, under the Touchstone Pictures banner. The film marks director Hayao Miyazaki’s final feature, as the legendary animation veteran announced his retirement in September 2013.
