Shinkai sticking to what he knows best: Japan, youth, anime

By YURI KAGEYAMA
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Makoto Shinkai doesn’t yet know the story he will tell in his next film, only that it will be about what he knows best. It will be set in Japan and will star someone with a heart of gold who fearlessly makes a coming-of-age journey. His current film, like his last two, focuses on disaster. But while the other films depicted imagined events, “Suzume” references real-life — the 2011 tsunami, quake and nuclear catastrophe in northeastern Japan. The filmmaker told The Associated Press he remembered the horrifying scenes: “Just to imagine being there made my body tremble.” But he says humans can’t help but find beauty in scenes lit by the sun. “Suzume” is set for release in North America on Friday.