News on Miyazaki

It's well-known that Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki shuns publicity. After all, he won the Golden Bear at Berlin in 2002 and an Oscar in 2003 but was nowhere to be found at either awards ceremony. So what moved him to show upa at Venice, to accept his lifetime achievement award? He already knew he had won. Even though he objected to the award on principle ("[Lifetime achievement awards] are for old people!"), Miyazaki agreed to attend, knowing that there was no chance he'd have to "sit there and be a perfect gentleman, congratulating the winner."

In addition to caring for his award, rumors are circulating on the internet that Miyazaki is busy planning a film version of Ursula K Le Guin classic Earthsea series. Nothing is concrete yet, but Miyazaki has mentioned the books in the past, and word has come out that his company is trying to buy the rights to Gedo Senki (one of the books' Japanese titles). This news probably is sending Le Guin fans into a total frenzy; let's hope it's true.