WORLDS are created every day by creative minds eager to escape and build their own versions of utopia. These worlds may simply be creations of men but the inspiration and lessons they impart create significant contributions to society. With an alternate reality perceived and reflected in mind, society is able to perceive the possible outcomes for every action done by human civilization.
This is what Studio Ghibli has contributed to society with its worlds alive in its animated movies ever since 1984. That was when Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was released which was a year prior to the formal founding of the studio itself. The brain child of Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki was created in Tokyo, Japan and is still currently creating its waves of impact as it traces back in time and makes animated movies that some theorize are the possible futures of the present world we live in. Studio Ghibli movies trace Earth’s timeline in a possible apocalyptic future, and in this future the characters often look back to what they have done and regret it. And then, they resolve the event for the sake of the future.
Ghibli is said to mean “Mediterranean Wind” or “Hot Sahara Wind” which was reflective of the studio’s intention to “blow new wind through the anime industry.” In Japan, Ghibli is pronounced as jiburi while in the West it is commonly pronounced as geeblee or giblee. Studio Ghibli is known for its movies such as Spirited Away, Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle, among countless other movies currently belonging to the roster of blockbuster films.
For all of the studio’s contribution, Sketchbook Challenge Cebu organized a three-day exhibit in Cebu City as a tribute to Studio Ghibli. The exhibit was open on July 1, 3 and 4 in iiOffice Cebu, Arlinda V. Paras Building on Don Gil Garcia St., Cebu City. The event featured Ghibli-inspired merchandise and artworks with the varying interpretations by local artists of the different animated films of Studio Ghibli and its characters who continue to stand as inspiration for change.