A former Studio Ghibli producer who made sexist comments about women’s ability to direct fantasy films has apologised for his comments.
Ghibli films, including The Tale of Princess Kaguya, which was produced by Nishimura, have been nominated for the best animation Oscar five times.
Studio Ghibli – once steered by the legendary director Hayao Miyazaki, who retired in 2013 – is one of the most respected animation houses in the world.
Nishimura said that it wasn’t a coincidence that none of Studio Ghibli’s films had been directed by women and that, while men were idealists, women were too “realistic” to direct animated fantasy.