escape from city life

His films like 'The New World' and 'The Tree of Life' romanticize nature and spiritual transcendence as escape from modern civilization's constraints.

His Studio Ghibli masterpieces consistently feature protagonists escaping urban environments to discover magic, freedom, and authentic connection in natural or fantastical worlds.

His documentaries and narratives obsessively explore remote landscapes and human pursuits of isolation, from 'Fitzcarraldo' to 'Grizzly Man,' as ultimate forms of escape.