The Whale Hunt

"The Whale Hunt" is a 16 minute film that aired at the Studio Ghibli museum and also played at the 2002 New York International Children's Film Festival. The film itself is a departure from more realistic-looking Ghibli works, such as "Spirited Away"; rather than being grounded in reality, the characters look cartoon-y and the world in which they live is painted in bright pastels. This helps to invoke the spirit of childish imagination which is a major theme in "The Whale Hunt".

In the film, a group of elementary school children play in their classroom, imagining that they are on a boat in the ocean. This fantasy becomes reality, and soon all the students find themselves stranded in the deep blue sea, looking for their own Moby Dick. Some of the kids want to harpoon the whale, others want to take its picture, and many of the kids are afraid and just want to return home. In the end, a gentle Totoro-esque whale shows up and plays with the children until their fantasy ends and they are again back in school.

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Small Version | Large Version	Small Version | Large Version
Small Version | Large Version	Small Version | Large Version

Synopsis by Avery Schwartz, images scanned by Chris Kuan.