Did you know that Studio Ghibli got its name from an Italian plane? As the story goes, founder Hayao Miyazaki took inspiration from a World War II era aircraft called the Caproni Ca.309, which was used for reconnaissance in the North African desert. The plane was commonly known by its nickname Ghibli, which roughly translates to ‘southern wind’ in Libyan Arabic. A Ghibli wind is known as a fierce, hot and dry air current that carries dust from the North African interior towards the Mediterranean sea. For this reason, some have speculated that Miyazaki chose the name to indicate Studio Ghibli’s intention to shake up the animation industry.
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