The Flying Luna Clipper

Ikko Ohno's 1987 Japanese film was produced entirely on home computers. The images were made using MSX systems, which makes it one of the more unusual examples of early digital animation. There is no narrative to speak of. A plane moves between islands; most of the passengers are fruit and vegetables given human form. Each island offers its own visual world and the film explains nothing as it moves from one to the next. The pixel structure of the images is not concealed but used as an aesthetic. The music and colour palette produce the feeling of a tropical holiday brochure. The film was little known outside Japan for a long time and was discovered after it began circulating online. Who it's for: those who like early digital art and experimental animation. Who it's not for: viewers looking for story and character; the film offers neither and rests entirely on atmosphere.