Imaginary Flying Machines
Imaginary Flying Machines (空想の空飛ぶ機械達 Kuusou no Sora Tobu Kikaitachi?) is a six-minute short film produced by Studio Ghibli and Mamma Aiuto in 2002 for viewing exclusively at the Studio Ghibli Museum. Japan Airlines has since purchased the rights to the film for screening aboard JAL flights.
The film features Hayao Miyazaki as the narrator (as an animated pig, reminiscent of the character Porco from Porco Rosso), relating the story of manned flight and the many machines imagined over the years to achieve it.
It was man’s dream since the ancient past to fly the great skies freely as a bird. People imagined various ways of flying, and thought up flying vehicles that moved by manpower or by powers of science. All of the manpowered planes, airballoons, and ornithopters are creating a huge traffic jam in the skies! Even with the advanced aviation technology today, the desire to fly the great skies have not ceased.
- Original story, screenplay and direction: Hayao Miyazaki
- Music: Joe Hisaishi
- Supervising Animator: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
- Art Director, Digital Animation Director: Mitsunori Kataama
- Length: 6 minutes
