“It is thanks to the books you sent me.”Ĭaproni said he was moved to tears when he first saw “The Wind Rises” at the Venice Film Festival last September. “Your grandfather appears in my new movie. Years later, Miyazaki wrote to Caproni again to tell him that his grandfather would be depicted in “The Wind Rises.” "That’s why we used the word Ghibli for the name of our animation studio.” “It is one of my most favorite airplanes," Miyazaki wrote in his reply to Caproni. The director had named his Studio Ghibli after the Caproni Ca.309 Ghibli World War II fighter aircraft. A story about a former Italian World War I fighter ace, “Porco Rosso” was set in the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Italy and featured many airplanes that were similar to aircraft designed by Gianni Caproni.Ĭaproni was so impressed that he sent Miyazaki two books that contained photos and blueprints of creations of his grandfather's company.Ī long-time aviation buff, Miyazaki was no stranger to Gianni Caproni's work.
Trento is also the home of the Gianni Caproni Museum of Aeronautics, which houses about 30 airplanes, including those built by Gianni's company.Īn anime fan, Caproni was moved when he first saw Miyazaki’s earlier film, “Porco Rosso,” in 1998.
#PORCO ROSSO PLANE TEST PROFESSIONAL#
“My grandfather, Horikoshi, and director Miyazaki are all similar in that they are professional and are very fond of creating something,” said Italo Caproni, who lives in a suburb of the northern alpine city of Trento. In the film, an older Caproni encourages a young Horikoshi to follow his dream to design airplanes. “The Wind Rises” is based on the life of Jiro Horikoshi (1903-1982), the designer of Japan's Zero fighter aircraft. The 40-year-old Caproni is the grandson of Gianni Caproni (1886-1957), an Italian aircraft designer who is depicted in Miyazaki's World War II aviation story.