Why is everyone convinced this isn't available on DVD when IT IS?Look at this website http://www.britishanimationawards.com click on 'Buy Animation Classics' link on left hand side, and you'll find "Skywhales" is listed amongst the contents for British Animation Classics Vol. 1 ! It's a British issue, but it is in fact a Region '0' NTSC release!I know. I've got one. I didn't know about it either, until I emailed co-director Derek Hayes, who told me all about it.I saw this in the cinema in 1983 as a support to... I cannot remember. I only remember this masterpiece!

I remember seeing this with the John Hurt/ Richard Burton version of '1984' at the Odeon Haymarket, in 1984 funnily enough! It may well have been shown on Channel 4 (UK) at some point but like the other contributors it really struck a chord despite such a fleeting glimpse.A self-contained culture, a genuine message at its heart and compact storytelling makes this a wonderful little short. Grown-up in terms of ideas, and quite prescient in terms of ecology and environment , I'm sure kids would enjoy it too .I wish it was readily available somewhere!

I would like to see Skywhales again, hoping it is as good as I remember, and it should be available for others, too. Maybe not earth-shattering, but it was satisfying, and had the feel of a modern fable. The animation was satisfying, and it had a wonderful dreamlike quality. Skywhales has the classic science fiction device of postulating and describing a newly discovered or invented culture - it is like an invented anthropological inventory, but presented in story style rather than in academese. This film had the uninhibited feeling of a demo effort or perhaps an extremely proficient student project. I do hope a print or copy can be found and republished. The world will be a better place.

Skywhales is a strange but very deep animated short. It opens on an unknown alien world and in a tribal village floating high in the sky. During the hunting season, many of the village's males go out in airships to hunt the massive skywhales. The father figure of the film's central family is one such hunter. But hunting the massive creatures carries many risks, including a strange curse that turns a random hunter into a ghastly white zombie.Despite the film's shortness and the characters' alien language, Skywhales has a certain depth to it. You can see and feel the world surrounding the film. The people seen in this film seem to have a living culture and a real language, and despite not being able to understand them, you can still feel and see their emotions. If you ever find a tape of the first international tournee of animation, you should check this short out. It is very deep and very cool.