Hop Film: The Wind Rises
Key historical events—including the Great Depression and Japan’s plunge into war—serve as a backdrop for director Hayao Miyazaki’s epic tale of love and perseverance.
In acclaimed animator Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises, Jiro (voice of Joseph Gordon-Levitt)—inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni—dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes. Nearsighted from a young age and unable to be a pilot, Jiro joins a major Japanese engineering company in 1927 and becomes one of the world's most innovative and accomplished airplane designers. The film chronicles much of his life, depicting key historical events, including the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the Great Depression, the tuberculosis epidemic and Japan's plunge into war. Jiro meets and falls in love with Naoko (Emily Blunt), and grows and cherishes his friendship with his colleague Honjo (John Krasinski). Writer/director Miyazaki pays tribute to engineer Jiro Horikoshi and author Tatsuo Hori in this epic tale of love, perseverance, and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world. The English-language cast also includes Elijah Wood, Stanley Tucci, Jennifer Grey, William H. Macy and Werner Herzog. Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature. D: Hayao Miyazaki, Japan, subtitled, 2014, 126m
