In 2013 renowned Japanese animator and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki announced his formal retirement. This was devastating news for fans that were lead to believe that the man behind Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and arguably the best depictions of food in the history of animation, would no longer be creating new works. A new documentary by Japan’s public broadcasting company NHK follows the ups and downs of Miyazaki’s life after announcing his retirement. Aptly titled Never Ending Man, the documentary captures Miyazaki’s despondency after retiring, and how his discovery of digital animation inspired him to continue creating. Miyazaki’s first CGI project, Boro the Caterpillar, is a short film about “a tiny, hairy caterpillar, so tiny that it may be easily squished between your fingers”. Never Ending Man follows the story behind Boro the Caterpillar, Miyazaki’s resurrection from retirement, and his struggles and victories in learning digital animation. The documentary is set to air on NHK World TV on June 3, in the meantime you can watch the trailer below.

• Words: Ikumi Cooray