Mamoru Hosoda – Mirai my little sister: “Giving interviews stimulates me enormously creatively”

This beautiful animated film can be seen again on Culture Box or in replay on France.TV.

Mirai, my little sister was released on December 26, 2018 in France, to critical acclaim. Presented in competition at the Annecy Animated Film Festival and at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes that year, the animated film by Mamoru Hosoda, director of Summer Wars and Wolf childrenis a family and magical chronicle of incredible richness.

We met the director, also incredibly rich, during the Annecy festival that year, and are sharing his interview again today, during the rebroadcast of the film on channel no. 14.

Miraï, my little sister will surprise you (Review)

Miraï, my little sister, gives the impression that there are several films in one: family comedy, fantastic adventure, a realistic chronicle…
Usually, I always compose my films in three chapters. Here I added sub-chapters… This is a first for me. In fact, the invisible structure of the film is that there is one episode per family member. If there is no apparent structure, it’s because I really wanted to be interested in the details of everyday life.

In animated cinema we are less accustomed to realism and everyday life.
When you look at the history of Japanese cinema, there is a kind of school of everyday life. We cannot ignore the cinema of Yazujiro Ozu, who greatly influenced me for Miraï, my little sister. I watch his films regularly. In life, the details of daily life are extremely momentary events, which we forget quite quickly. I wanted to show them in a film before I forgot them, so I could remember them later. Now I have two children; I started working on Mirai at the birth of my eldest daughter who served as a model for me.

There is also a very moving passage about the story of the grandfather, injured during the Second World War. Is this a true story?
Yes, in part. My wife’s great-grandfather actually lived in Yokohama, near the sea. He made engines for warplanes, he was drafted into the navy, he was injured but survived. On the other hand, the bicycle episode is a pure invention: I wrote it because I would have liked to learn something from my great-grandfather.

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We obviously think of Isao Takahata, the realist from Ghibli. What influence did he have on you?
On May 15, there was a tribute to Takahata at the Ghibli Museum, I couldn’t attend because I had to leave for Cannes… He’s a director for whom I have the greatest respect. He taught me everything: in 1979, I watched the series directed by Takahata Anne of Green Gables, on Japanese TV. It is a classic of children’s literature which has been adapted many times, including for cinema. Takahata’s version is extraordinary because he does not stay in Anne’s point of view like the previous versions, he detaches himself from it, he flies over everything with a lot of humor and visual ideas, details of a incredible accuracy. I really learned everything from watching this series: how to tell a story, how to make films without any spectacular subject. And above all how to illustrate everyday life with detail and emotion. Takahata’s series is even superior to the original book, in my opinion. It is a model of adaptation. His death saddened me a lot.

Did you show him some preparatory work Mirai ?
No, I don’t think he saw anything Mirai. But members of my team also worked with him at the same time, and perhaps through them Takahata knew what I was doing. Afterwards, I wouldn’t have spontaneously come to see him to show him drawings or even a trailer. He was going to discover films at the cinema, of his own free will. Now I regret not showing him anything. Perhaps I should have come to his house and presented him with something…

The motto of your animation studio, Studio Chizu, is “the smallest studio in the world”. What does it mean ?
Chizu only produces one film every three years, and never a film commissioned by major investors or television. Studio Chizu is absolutely not stable, commercially speaking. I don’t know how long we can continue, but I don’t think there are very many of us who will have the chance to work in this kind of studio.

You worked a lot for animated TV series: what memories do you have of it?
Lots of things… I worked for 14 years for Tohei Animation which made both films and series. Each episode had its own director, and so it felt like we were working on real short films each time. In other studios, there is one director for the entire series. I was therefore able to make several short films within Tohei.

Was one episode more memorable than the others?
Ahah, yes! I remember an episode of the series Ojamajo Doremi. Just before, I was part of Studio Ghibli where I had to direct The Howl’s Moving Castle. But for X reasons, I was fired. I came back to Tohei and I made this episode right after: everything I wanted to do in The Howl’s Moving CastleI put it in this episode.

You say “a film every three years”... Are you already preparing your next film?
You know, even the Japanese need to take a vacation! I was planning to rest after the promotion of Miraï, but by doing interviews, listening to journalists, ideas came to me for my next film… Some journalists even come to see me to tell me what my new movie. I’m thinking. I have direction. So no vacation.

Do journalists give you advice for your next film?
Maybe not advice, but they give me ideas, that’s for sure. (laughs) I have a vague idea, but giving interviews really stimulates me creatively.

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