Sunao Katabuchi's career flows - he served as Hayao Miyazaki's assistant on Kiki's Delivery Service - and ebbs - he also served as director on the ill-fated Famous Dog Lassie, one of the World Masterpiece Theater anime endeavors. After recieving wide-spread recognition for his work at Studio Ghibli under the auspices of the renowned Miyazaki, Katabuchi eventually found himself at Studio 4°C. Most recently Katabuchi elicited accolades for his Studio 4°C production of Princess Arete, a title which the McCarthy/Clements Anime Encyclopedia notes as "made inside a computer, though it retains the appearance of traditonal cel animation." Princess Arete was released in Japanese theaters on July 21, 2001 and has been making its way slowly around the world. On a stop off in Paris, Akadot correspondent Olivier de Doncker was able to spend a few minutes with this rising anime celebrity.

How did you get started in animation?

Sunao Katabuchi: I was born in 1960. After graduating from college, I studied cinema in the Fine Arts Department of Tokyo University. I wanted to become an animator.

How did you meet Hayao Miyazaki?

SK: When I was at university, one of my teachers was a colleague of Miyazaki. At this time, Miyazaki was looking for new young animators. He asked some students to write a story for a series called Sherlock Hound (Meitantei Holmes in Japan). Even though I had no experience writing, I gave him something and he enjoyed my work. So I worked with Miyazaki on Sherlock Hound in a studio called Telecom. After that, I took part in a project led by Isao Takahata [director on Grave of the Fireflies]. The show was called Little Nemo. While working on this film, I met Yoshifumi Kondo [supervising animator on Grave of the Fireflives, Kiki's Delivery Service, Only Yesterday, and Princess Mononoke among others] and Yasuo Otsuka [animation director on Caslte of Cagliostro].

After this film, you worked at Studio Ghibli?

SK: Yes. I was the co-director on Kiki's Delivery Service. That was a great experience.

Finally, you joined Studio 4°C?

SK: I joined 4°C in 1989 when this studio was created by producer Eiko Tanaka [production manager on Kiki's Delivery Service, Naussica, Laputa]. There, I worked with Koji Morimoto [assistant animator on Akira] and Yoshiharu Sato [supervising animator on My Neighbor Totoro].

Do you work only for Studio 4°C?

SK: No. For example, I've also directed several World Masterpiece Theater series like Famous Dog Lassie (1996). This series is produced by Nippon Animation and are inspired from classic novels. Please note that the very first World Masterpiece Theater was created in 1975 and Isao Takahata was an influential part of the creation team.

The original novel of from which Princess Arete draws its inspiration, The Clever Princess by Diana Coles, espouses much feminist doctrine. How did this effect the way the film was made?

SK: When the producer started this projects some years ago, she wanted to give the film to a female director. Finally, she preferred choosing a man, to have a larger point of view on the story. Personally, I think that Princess Arete is not only a feminist story. The film deals with a problem common to both men and women: how to find our own way and our place in the world.

Princess Arete does not wait for her charming prince as in many other fairy tale stories. She behaves like the girls in Miyazaki films.

SK: Yes. Of course, I was influenced by Miyazaki but I don't think that Princess Arete is the sister of Nausicaa, Laputa or San. Miyazaki always told me that I had to find my own way. You may see Princess Arete as myself. The film is a metaphor for my own career.

The featured song in Princess Arete is in Russian. Why?

SK: In my film, I wanted to tell a story that takes place in the European Middle Age. So, I wanted to use songs that would help create a special atmosphere. Originally, I had contacts with a Norveigian singer but she was not available when we recorded the soundtrack. This is why I chose a Russian singer named Oliga. She wrote the lyrics.

What's the intended audience of Princess Arete, adults or children?

SK: I think that Princess Arete is a movie for 30-year-old-people who are in the middle of the road. When you're 30 years old, you generally look at what you did and you want to do before the end of your life. In particular, Princess Arete is addressed to those who experienced Japan's prosperity during the 1980s. Now, some people have lost their jobs; they live in harsh conditions. With Princess Arete, I hope to give them some courage to return to a state of peace.