Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Miyazaki in the Kingdom

Michael Mirasol has written a charming article about how Miyazaki's films have been recieved among friends and relatives in Saudi Arabia (known locally as the kingdom). Here's a passage:
But of all our movie moments together, one stands out. As we sat around the carpet having a delicious chicken kabsa, I was shuffling through several DVD choices, not knowing which one to see. I told them that I would play Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo (which I had seen previously), and asked them to tell me if they wanted something else.

As it played, not one objection was raised. Here we adults were, entranced by a wondrous film aimed more at young children. Any laughter that arose was the kind a parent would have over a young child’s discovery or acknowledgments of life’s little truths. Once it had finished, the room was unanimous in its approval. Even my cousin Said, who was 24 at the time, liked it profusely.

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