Guillermo del Toro Praises Hayao Miyazaki at International Premiere of The Boy and the Heron

Guillermo del Toro prefaces the international debut of The Boy and the Heron by paying tribute to Hayao Miyazaki.


The Boy and the Heron premiered at the Toronto Film Festival with a surprise guest who did not hold back his admiration for Hayao Miyazaki.


Deadline reports the surprise appearance by director Guillermo Del Toro was met with an ovation at the Toronto Film Festival. The crowd might have not anticipated he was the one who would walk onstage when TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey introduced him as "Miyazaki's most passionate fan." The Academy Award-winning director was eager to introduce The Boy and the Heron, but not without first having his say on Miyazaki, who skipped the event to build on the film's mystery. "He knows what makes my fat butt move!" del Toro joked to a pleasantly surprised crowd.


He then excitedly emphasized to everyone that they were the first to experience the film outside Japan. The Boy and the Heron deliberately went under the radar and was released with minimal marketing effort. The film's international debut was also particularly special, as it was the first time a Japanese title or animated film jumpstarted the Toronto Film Festival. He echoed the anticipation, saying "This is the [movie's] world, god-damn premiere" to a cheering crowd. He also took the opportunity to speak at length about Miyazaki's artistic legacy.


Miyazaki Compared to Mozart

"We are privileged enough to be living in a time where Mozart is composing symphonies," del Toro confessed. "Miyazaki san is a master of that stature, and we are so lucky to be here." There's overwhelming critical acclaim for all of Miyazaki's projects but any Ghibli fan will agree that Miyazaki's works approach sublime art and mythology. Guillermo confirmed as much, saying Miyazaki "has changed the medium that he started in, revolutionized it, proved over and over again that is a tremendous work of art."


The director also drew parallels between his artistry and Miyazaki's, exploring paradoxes that are essential "because [Miyazaki] understands that beauty cannot exist without horror, and delicacy cannot exist without brutality. He repeats motifs over and over again: flying, hope, despair, the power of innocence, the great of innocence. Each of his parables, because they become parables, are full of belief in humanity and full of heartache in humanity. I believe the film we will watch tonight will be no exception." He shared the sentiment of many fans, who would be delighted to learn that contrary to previous reports, The Boy and the Heron is not Miyazaki's last film with Studio Ghibli.


The Boy and the Heron will release in the US later this year.

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