A BOOK DEDICATED TO ISAO TAKAHATA’S ANIMATED FILMS

“The Art of Emotion – Il cinema d’animazione di Isao Takahata” (The Art of Emotion – Isao Takahata’s Animated Films) is the title of a book written and published in Italy by writer Mario A. Rumor.

It’s a 400 pages essay about one of the most respected and loved Master of animation, Isao Takahata (1935), whom is also better know as friend of Academy Award winner Hayao Miyazaki and co-founder of Studio Ghibli.

For the first time a book explores the artistic life and career of Takahata, the director behind TV Classics as Alps no shojo Heidi (1974), Marco (1976) and Akage no An (1979); but he also directed big screen masterpieces like Hols no Daiboken (1968), Goshu the cellist (1982), Chie the brat (1982), Grave of fireflies (1988). Two time winner at the Japanese box-office with poetic Omohide Poroporo (1991) and funny Pom Poko (1994), Takahata directed his last animation feature in 1999: Tonari no Yamada-kun, produced by Studio Ghibli. All fans in the world waiting for his next work, announced by Toshio Suzuki for 2008.

“The Art of Emotion” is a book written in 9 years; a critical essay in which we don’t miss the pleasure to read information and curiosity about the creation of such animation films like Hols and Goshu the cellist.

Say writer Mario A. Rumor: “Isao Takahata wrote his personal book Eiga wo tsukurinagara (Tokuma Shoten, 1991) in which he explained his way on making animation. No matter what other people could think about it, it was something like “the End” stuff, even for the most resourceful film critic. So, why writing a book about an artist who don’t need official presentation? I don’t get you a perfect answer to this question. I guess this book is just more welcomed here, in Italy, where the name of Takahata was always postponed and confused with the name of his Toei Doga alumnus Miyazaki. Maybe, the truth is that Isao Takahata for all people of my generation is quite a father-figure, while Miya-san is a volcanic uncle. And you often start with family ties, don’t you?”

The preface of this book is written by French director Michel Ocelot (Azur et Asmar), friend of Isao Takahata.

The author Mario A. Rumor is film critic and writer. He wrote Like Dolls. Japanese Girl’s Comics (2005) and Created by. The new American Empire of Tv Series (2005).