On October 1 and 3, 2026, Sonia Moumen’s documentary, Tokyo-Aubusson, le voyage en tapisserie de Hayao
Miyazaki, was screened at the Institut français de Tokyo and Yokohama Cinemarine. The Yokohama
screening was organized by the Institut français de Yokohama and co-organized by the cinema. I joined Sonia
and the audiences online from Aubusson for discussions after the screenings.
The film follows four years of collaboration with Studio Ghibli and shows the different artisans involved in
creating the first four tapestries: weavers, dyers, artists who prepare the tapestry cartoons, yarn spinners, and
others.
It also touches a little on my own story with Aubusson tapestry. I appear during the work on “Howl’s Moving
Castle” and just before the weaving of “La Sieste de Mei et Totoro” begins.
Seeing the tapestry weavers on screen again, including some who have since left the profession, was very
moving. The film preserves a record of the work of all these teams and the time they devoted to the project.
I was very happy to see the film presented in Japan and to receive warm messages from the audience. Many
thanks to Sonia, the organizers, and everyone who came to the screenings.