While being a tribute to Miyazaki's work, this project is actually an exploration of self-awareness and identity of people living in modern society

And it all started with the book 

Containing information about Miyazaki's creative methods, collectivism in Japan, it's culture and mythology, this book helps to better understand what Kaonashi actually is and where Its roots take place

But as a reflection of just someone else's perspective, this book felt empty

It needed NoFace's participation, and so did this project as a whole. So we started to think how would Kaonashi react to a book like this. Where everyone except It had something to say about NoFace's loneliness  

Here one can see the point of Kaonashi gaining voice for Itself wedging in stranger's conversation of It's own identity

So it was necessary to show how it all worked: what does it meant to Kaonashi /how would It react /how would It feel /how would It look /and how the hell It found this book! 

The very first thing we did to udnerstand all of this was Kaonashi's costume

Since It found this book in our time, fashion definitely fitted. As a result we had various obvious references to OFF-WHITE clothing pieces and hypebeast culture

Eventually it all finished in a small lookbook 

Obviously it was just a beginning. Now we understood how It would look, but to fully realize what It would feel, we needed to go deeper

A short film felt like a good way to answer all of those questions  

The main question was "So does it really have a face? And if It has - how would it be shown"

That was the moment when we thought -- what about sketchbooks? 

So what is this all about?

Well

In short film we tried to represent how NoFace is stuck in the loop with the same beginning and end. Its life is nothing but meetings with strangers, whom it is trying to befriend. So exactly by that, by facing some other people's lives and images, It becomes a small part of their environment. It tries things they try, It's playing their instruments, It is listening to their stories and literally losing consciousness trying to match. But Its personal story remains empty and not doesn't even start

So when It feels that it's time to show Its face, It's showing the sketchbooks, but not the one It's constantly trying to fill 

Each sketchbook is actually an exclusive take on self-exploration and identity. So that in the end we have 5 closing images in "self portrait-sketchbook" format brought to you by 5 different people trying to answer the question

What does it mean to have your own face?​​​​​​​