Courtesy of Studio Ghibli, Academy MuseumFilm & TV / NewsFilm & TV / NewsThe Hayao Miyazaki retrospective has officially openedThe Academy Museum of Motion Pictures exhibition spotlights the process behind the Studio Ghibli founder’s most beloved films, from My Neighbour Totoro to Howl’s Moving Castle, and moreShareLink copied ✔️October 4, 2021October 4, 2021TextGünseli YalcinkayaHayao Miyazaki retrospective at the Academy Museum Studio Ghibli heads, rejoice! Hayao Miyazaki’s major retrospective at the brand new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in LA has officially opened its doors. The exhibition marks the grand opening of the Academy Museum (AKA the organisation behind the Oscars). In collaboration with Studio Ghibli, it features over 300 objects from the director’s career, including hand-drawn storyboards, character designs, posters, and film clips. Many of the objects featured in the exhibit have never been seen outside of Japan. The retrospective also includes Ghibli-themed installations. Visitors enter Miyazaki’s enchanted world through the magical tree tunnel featured in My Neighbour Totoro. There’s also a grassy knoll, where visitors are invited to lie down and look up at a round screen projecting a video of clouds drifting past, as in Kiki’s Delivery Service. The final section of the exhibition is another tree tunnel leading to the rest of the Academy Museum. Visitors can hear footsteps meant to be those of Chihiro as she leaves the realm of Spirited Away and returns to the real world. In front of the final doorway is the “two-faced Stone Spirit” who wished her good luck on her adventure. “He’s a cinematic master,” says the Academy Museum’s chief artistic and programming officer Jacqueline Stewart. “Miyazaki is an international filmmaker. We wanted to highlight somebody who really had global appeal and global impact. And one of the things that’s really unique about his work, too, is that it actually does appeal to young people and older generations with equal passion and vision.” Jessica Niebel, the curator behind the Miyazaki exhibition, explained how she worked with the filmmaker’s Studio Ghibli and the Ghibli Museum in Japan to gather all the materials. “Miyazaki conveys the nuance behind his protagonist’s intentions, and invites viewers to recognise the contradictions of human nature: to act responsibly, show respect and humility, and coexist with the environment.” Take a look at some of the storyboards and materials in the exhibit above. Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREDazed x MUBI Cinema Club’s season finale: Father Mother Sister Brother6LILITH6: Inside the witchy femme mall cult of Forbidden FruitsOnMeet the creatives turning up the heat in Lagos with Burna Boy and OnDJ Ahmet, a coming-of-ager about an EDM-obsessed teen sheep farmerWho is Takashi Miike? An intro to Japanese cinema’s cult provocateurThe Good Boy is a sick, twisted nightmare about delinquent teensArco, a striking, soul-stirring sci-fi about lonely kids in 2075Bill Skarsgård and Gus Van Sant on their scrappy thriller Dead Man’s WireScarlet: Anime legend Mamoru Hosoda’s trippy new take on Hamlet7 unmissable films from South by Southwest 2026 Why fans are turning against Timothée ChalametOscars 2026: The biggest snubs from this year’s nominationsEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy