The final film from Hayao Miyazaki, “How Do You Live?,” is making its way out Japan! While the movie opened in Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s native country on July 14th, there was no word on an international release date until today. It has now been confirmed that the film will open the Toronto Film Festival and San Sebastian Film Festival.
This hand-drawn animated feature will be playing both festivals under its alternate title “The Boy and the Heron.” Currently it’s screening schedule is September 7th to open the Toronto Film Festival. Then it will open the 71st San Sebastian Festival on September 22nd in the Kursaal Auditorium. This viewing will also be out of competition.
Currently very little is known about “The Boy and the Heron” outside of audiences in Japan. Producers Studio Ghibli decided to take a rather unorthodox approach to the film by giving it almost no marketing. There was a cryptic poster released in December 2022, and some images from the releasing booklets/pamphlets giving out in theaters have made their way online.
The only real information we have about the film is that Studio Ghibli describes it as “a grand fantasy.” The studio also confirmed it is loosely inspired by Genzaburo Yoshino’s 1937 novel “How Do You Live?” That novel is a coming-of-age story about the emotional and philosophical development of a young boy after the death of his father. But it’s also been confirmed that Miyazaki took some serious liberties with the novel, so loosely is the operative word here.
Strange marketing choices aside, Miyazaki has a long history with the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain. “The Boy and the Heron” will be the fourth film of his to screen at the event, but this is the first time as an official selection. Miyazaki’s films “Spirited Away” and “Ponyo” have previously been a part of the festival’s Velodrome section. “The Wind Rises” also played as a part of the event’s Perlak sidebar.
You can check out the few stills we have from “The Boy and the Heron” below:
