‘Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron’ Documentary Now Streaming on Max U.S.

The Cannes Official Selection documentary Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron has quietly nested into its U.S. streaming debut, available to watch now on Max. The full film premiered at the French festival on the night that Hayao Miyazaki’s son Gorō Miyazaki was presented with the Honorary Palme d’Or on behalf of Studio Ghibli, the Ghibli Museum (Mitaka) and Ghibli Park.

From filmmaker Kaku Arakawa, Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron chronicles the production of Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning animated fantasy, The Boy and the Heron. A shorter cut, titled 2399 Days with Hayao Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli, aired on Japanese television prior to the Cannes debut. Arakawa is also the documentarian behind the four-part TV special 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki.

Synopsis: Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron is a two-hour documentary that chronicles the making of The Boy and the Heron, filmed with exclusive access to Studio Ghibli across an astonishing seven years. It is also a record of the collaboration between filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki as they perform an intricate dance of deception and friendship, mirroring that of Mahito and the Heron, as Suzuki pushes Miyazaki ever further into his creativity, ultimately delivering an unprecedented masterpiece.

Catsuka tipped off fans to the streaming launch. Max is also the U.S. streaming home of The Boy and the Heron and the Studio Ghibli film catalog.

Watch the documentary on Max here.