The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
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A Film by Isao Takahata The Tale of The Princess Kaguya The Tale of The Princess Kaguya A film by Isao Takahata French and International Press: Myriam Bruguière BCG [email protected] Wild Bunch – Cannes Sales Office 4 La Croisette - 1st floor CAROLE BARATON [email protected] (In front of the Palais) GARY FARKAS [email protected] +33 (0) 4 93 99 06 26 VINCENT MARAVAL [email protected] SILVIA SIMONUTTI [email protected] NOEMIE DEVIDE [email protected] OLIVIER BARBIER [email protected] presskit and stills downloadable from www.wildbunch.eu Cast and Staff Credits Studio Ghibli, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DYMP, Walt Disney Japan, Mitsubishi, Toho and KDDI present The Tale of The Princess Kaguya Voices Aki Asakura Kengo Kora Takeo Chii Nobuko Miyamoto Atsuko Takahata Tomoko Tabata Shinosuke Tatekawa Takaya Kamikawa Hikaru Ijuin Ryudo Uzaki Shichinosuke Nakamura Isao Hashizume Yukiji Asaoka (Special Appearance) Tatsuya Nakadai Chief Executive Producer Seiichiro Ujiie Deputy Chief Executive Producer Yoshio Okubo Planning Toshio Suzuki Based on Japanese Folktale “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” Original Concept and Screenplay Isao Takahata Screenplay Riko Sakaguchi Music Joe Hisaishi Theme Song “Inochi no Kioku” Lyrics, Music and Performed by Kazumi Nikaido Songs “Warabe Uta” “Tennyo no Uta” Lyrics by Isao Takahata and Riko Sakaguchi Music by Isao Takahata 2 Character Design Cast and Staff Credits and Directing Animator Osamu Tanabe Art Director Kazuo Oga Studio Ghibli, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DYMP, Walt Disney Japan, Supervising Animator Kenichi Konishi Mitsubishi, Toho and KDDI present The Tale of The Princess Kaguya Paint Outline and Texture Animation Masaya Saito Voices Animation Check Maiko Nogami Color Setting Yukiko Kakita Aki Asakura Director of Digital Imaging Keisuke Nakamura Kengo Kora Promotional Sponsor KDDI, Eyeful Home Takeo Chii Special Media Support Lawson, The Yomiuri Shimbun Nobuko Miyamoto Advertising Producers Akito Takahashi, Tomoko Hosokawa Associate Producers Seiji Okuda, Naoya Fujimaki, Ryoichi Fukuyama Atsuko Takahata Executive Producer Koji Hoshino Tomoko Tabata Production Studio Ghibli Shinosuke Tatekawa Producer Yoshiaki Nishimura Directed by Isao Takahata Takaya Kamikawa Hikaru Ijuin Distribution (Japan): Toho Ryudo Uzaki Color / 1.85:1/ 5.1ch Shichinosuke Nakamura Running time: 137 min. Isao Hashizume A Studio Ghibli Film Yukiji Asaoka (Special Appearance) © 2013 Hatake Jimusho - GNDHDDTK Tatsuya Nakadai Chief Executive Producer Seiichiro Ujiie Deputy Chief Executive Producer Yoshio Okubo Planning Toshio Suzuki Based on Japanese Folktale “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” Original Concept and Screenplay Isao Takahata Screenplay Riko Sakaguchi Music Joe Hisaishi Theme Song “Inochi no Kioku” Lyrics, Music and Performed by Kazumi Nikaido Songs “Warabe Uta” “Tennyo no Uta” Lyrics by Isao Takahata and Riko Sakaguchi Music by Isao Takahata 2 3 About the Film A woman came to live in this world. Through each moment of her short life she sought its radiance in laughter, tears, joy, and anger. Why did she choose to come to earth? Why did she long for this world? Why did she have to return to the moon? What was her sin, and how was she punished? This is the untold story of The Princess Kaguya, the heroine of the ancient Japanese folktale ‘The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter’. The crime and punishment of a princess. A 5 billion-yen epic of animated entertainment, eight years in the making. The most beautiful Ghibli heroine ever. 4 About the Film After Half a Century, by Director Isao Takahata A woman came to live in this world. Once upon a time, nearly 55 years ago now, at a company called Toei Animation, a Through each moment of her short life project to make an animated feature of the classic The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter took she sought its radiance shape under Tomu Uchida, one of the greatest directors of the day. In the end the film was in laughter, tears, joy, and anger. never made, but part of the director’s original idea was that this would be a new type of challenge in which all employees of the company would be invited to submit scenarios. Why did she choose to come to earth? A number of those submitted were later collected in a mimeographed booklet. Why did she long for this world? Why did she have to return to the moon? I did not submit a scenario. New employees who wanted to work in planning and What was her sin, direction were routinely asked to offer outlines, but by this time my idea was already dead and how was she punished? in the water. I had not written a dramatization of the story; instead I had written a scene that was to have served as a prologue to this curious tale, in which the princess and her This is the untold story of The Princess Kaguya, father talk prior to her departure from the moon. the heroine of the ancient Japanese folktale ‘The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter’. Towards the end of the original The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, when Princess Kaguya announces to the Bamboo Cutter, her adoptive father, that she must return to the moon, she tells him she came to this world because of ‘an old promise’. The messenger of The crime and punishment of a princess. the moon who comes for her tells the Bamboo Cutter that ‘Princess Kaguya, because she committed a sin, was sent to this place to live for a time in the humble abode of one such as you. The time over which she must atone for her sin has ended, and we have thus come for A 5 billion-yen epic of animated entertainment, eight years in the making. her.’ The most beautiful Ghibli heroine ever. What, indeed, was the crime Princess Kaguya committed on the moon, and what manner of obligation is her ‘old promise’, in other words ‘her promise in the world of the moon’? And if she was sent as punishment to this world, why was it lifted? Why is she not happy about this? What kind of sin is possible in the pure unsullied world of the moon? Why was Princess Kaguya ever sent to the Earth? The answer to these questions explains all the unfathomable changes in the heart of Princess Kaguya as they appear in the original story. And I had hit on that answer! At that time I was delighted, but over the half century between then and my taking it up again, the dust of many years had covered over the concept of this ‘old promise’. I can still clearly see my scene of Princess Kaguya with her father the Moon King. He tells us something very important about the Princess’s sin and her punishment. 4 5 Kaguya, her thoughts elsewhere, doesn’t listen to what her father is saying. Her eyes shine, and she gazes happily down on the Earth to which she will be exiled. But I did not put that scene at the beginning of this film. As long as I could draw out ‘the true story of The Princess Kaguya’, one that does not feature in the original work, my film would not need the prologue. And as long as Princess Kaguya was portrayed as someone with whom an audience could empathize, she would remain in the heart. Seized with that great ambition, I took up The Tale of The Princess Kaguya. I have no idea, to tell the truth, if a story like this has any of what could be called ‘present-day-ness’. I can at least assert, however, that this animated film will be worth seeing. This is because of the talent and abilities of the staff who have rallied behind it, and the cinematic expression they have achieved. These all clearly indicate a modern-day point of arrival. This is what I most earnestly wish you will see. 6 Kaguya, her thoughts elsewhere, doesn’t listen to what her father is saying. Her eyes shine, TheTh eme Song and she gazes happily down on the Earth to which she will be exiled. But I did not put that scene at the beginning of this film. As long as I could draw Lyrics by Isao Takahata and Riko Sakaguchi out ‘the true story of The Princess Kaguya’, one that does not feature in the original work, Music by Isao Takahata my film would not need the prologue. And as long as Princess Kaguya was portrayed as someone with whom an audience could empathize, she would remain in the heart. Seized “Warabe Uta” (Nursery Rhyme) with that great ambition, I took up The Tale of The Princess Kaguya. Round, round, go round, Waterwheel, go round I have no idea, to tell the truth, if a story like this has any of what could be called Go round, and call Mr. Sun ‘present-day-ness’. I can at least assert, however, that this animated film will be worth Go round, and call Mr. Sun seeing. This is because of the talent and abilities of the staff who have rallied behind it, Birds, bugs, beasts, grass, trees, flowers and the cinematic expression they have achieved. These all clearly indicate a modern-day Bring spring and summer, fall and winter point of arrival. This is what I most earnestly wish you will see. Bring spring and summer, fall and winter Round, round, go round, Waterwheel, go round Go round, and call Mr. Sun Go round, and call Mr. Sun Birds, bugs, beasts, grass, trees, flowers Flower, bear fruit, and die Be born, grow up, and die Still the wind blows, the rain falls The waterwheel goes round Lifetimes come and go in turn Lifetimes come and go in turn “Tennyo no Uta” (Song of the Heavenly Maiden) Go round, come round, come round, O distant time Come round, call back my heart Come round, call back my heart Birds, bugs, beasts, grass, trees, flowers Teach me how to feel If I hear that you pine for me, I will return to you 6 7 TheTh eme Song “Inochi no Kioku” (When I Remember This Life) Lyrics, Music and Performed by Kazumi Nikaido The joy I felt when