First published in 1952, Mary Norton’s The Borrowers has remained a popular children’s text over the past six decades. Indeed, four printed sequels further explored the exploits of the tiny people domiciled under the houses of ordinary humans, with a 1973 American TV movie, a 1992 and 1993 British series, and 1997 feature release following. Given its magical subject matter and beguiling tone, it is far from surprising that Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli have turned their attention to producing the first hand-drawn film version. On the eve of the Arrietty‘s long-awaited Australian release, Ghibli animator turned director Hiromasa Yonebayashi chatted with Sarah Ward about his debut effort, including the process of adapting the favourite novel for cinema, his transition to helming, and the underlying message of the engaging story.
How did you become involved in bringing the beloved tale The Borrowers to the screen?
It was Mr. Hayao Miyazaki’s idea to make a feature film based on the original novels. In fact, more than 10 years ago the studio had already contemplated making the film but did not proceed at the time. When director Hayao Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki asked me if I would direct the next film, I had never considered the job of directing ever and did not think that I was capable of it. Therefore, I turned down the offer at first.
Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata have wanted to adapt the story for almost forty years – what influence did they have on the film?
Mr. Miyazaki wrote the screenplay and drew several image boards but he was not involved in the actual animation production at all.
How did your previous work at Studio Ghibli prepare you for making your directorial debut with Arrietty?
With my previous work at Studio Ghibli as an animator, I was responsible for completing a particular scene in which I had to consider how to incorporate the direction for that scene while drawing the animation sketches. Therefore, this time it seemed like I was doing the same task as before, but only for a much longer duration.
How did you adjust to the change from animating to directing?
Animators deal with short individual shots. However, each shot is itself complete, with storytelling, visual and aural elements. I approached this feature film as a long version of the work I’ve been doing as an animator.
What changes did you implement to transport the story from England to Japan?
It was Hayao Miyazaki’s idea to transpose the setting to modern-day Japan. The reason was because I am not familiar with the United Kingdom, so he probably wanted to eliminate the chance of anything unusual appearing on screen. But I believe the most important reason is that this film is targeting the people of modern day Japan.
What relevance do you think the story has to modern society?
By contrasting the modern day’s mass consumerism with the frugal lifestyle of the Borrowers, who only take what’s needed, we hope the audience would think about their own way of life after watching the film.
The film sits alongside Studio Ghibli’s greats – was it a daunting assignment for your first film?
This is the first time for an animator of the studio to be directing a feature film, so I felt the pressure. I still do not understand why I was asked to direct this film. The producer Mr. Suzuki said he had offered me the job after hearing Mr. Miyazaki talk about my work on the last film Ponyo, whereas Mr. Miyazaki said he had a “hunch”.
What’s your favourite Studio Ghibli film, and why?
Actually my favourite film is one that I did not work on. I watched Whisper of the Heart the year before I joined Studio Ghibli. The film conveyed the teenage heroine’s feelings of anxiety and hope for the future, and I thought at the time that I should also work hard.
What are you working on next?
At this time there is nothing planned.
