- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Year: 2013
Overview
Jiro Horikoshi is a young Japanese boy who dreams of designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the Italian designer Caproni. He goes to university and becomes an engineer at a major aircraft company, working to design a fighter plane for the military. Jiro struggles to balance his love for his work with the knowledge that his planes will be used for war. Meanwhile, he falls in love with Naoko, a young woman suffering from tuberculosis.
Takeaways
Jiro faces a massive challenge trying to design modern, beautiful planes in a country that is still catching up technologically. Since the military is the only group that can fund his work, he has to accept the heartbreaking truth that his beautiful creations will be used for war and destruction. Meanwhile, his deep love for Naoko gives him strength, but her battle with tuberculosis means they have to treasure every moment they have together. The movie shows the painful clash between artistic dreams and the harsh realities of history and war.