Meet Lava’s Larger-Than-Life Star

July 12, 2014 , ,

In advance of its premiere at the Hiroshima International Animation Festival in Japan, Pixar has shared a first look at their new short film, Lava. Depicted as a musical love story, Lava tells the tale of a volcano, Uku, who is looking for love among the ocean waters surrounding the Hawaiian islands. As you can see in the image above, Uku is perhaps the most lovable mountain ever put on film. He’s also a wonderful example of the power of modern animation technique, as the film depicts tropical flora and fauna with an incredible level of realism.

Lava

At a recent screening, director James Murphy told us about finding the original inspiration for Lava while honeymooning in Hawaii some twenty years ago. He was so taken with Hawaiian culture that he took up playing the ukulele and eventually wrote the song that would be the basis for Lava’s narrative. Ukulele in hand, James gave us an impromptu performance of the song, which we can attest will most definitely stay stuck in your head for days after you hear it. When the film hits theatres in front of Pixar’s upcoming feature, Inside Out, James’ song will be performed by Hawaiian recording artists Kuana Torres Kahele and Napua Greig.

You’ll be able to experience the beautiful sights and sounds of Lava for yourself starting on June 19, 2015, when it comes to theatres ahead of Inside Out.

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