Studio Ghibli may have ceased film production, but it’s not all doom and gloom for fans of the feted Japanese animation house. This year saw the re-release of Isao Takahata’s 1991 feature Only Yesterday, and now the studio has unearthed another little seen classic from their archives. Tomomi Mochizuki’s Ocean Waves from 1993 is coming to US theatres in 2017 in its newly restored 4K glory.
The actual process of restoration entails the transfer of movies from celluloid to 4K digital, which allows for each frame to be digitally polished as a way of removing any scratches or noise. With more vibrant colours and greater detail, it’s a way of recreating the original vision and allows for the studio’s trademark animation to be even more beautiful. The recut trailer for Ocean Waves is at once delicate and enchanting, as we see two friend’s relationship tested as a new woman comes into their lives.
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It is unclear whether Ocean Waves will get a UK cinema run, but it will most likely be made available on home video at some point in the near future. In the meantime, here’s a glorious poster to whet your appetite. Also, look out for Studio Ghibli’s The Red Turtle in cinemas next year.
