Lava (2014 film)

Lava
Directed byJames Ford Murphy
Written byJames Ford Murphy
Produced byAndrea Warren
Starring
Music byJames Ford Murphy
Production
company
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures[a]
Release dates
Running time
7 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Lava is a 2014 American animated musical short film produced by Pixar Animation Studios.[2] Directed and written by James Ford Murphy and produced by Andrea Warren, it premiered at the Hiroshima International Animation Festival on June 14, 2014, and was theatrically released alongside Pixar's Inside Out, on June 19, 2015.[1]

The short is a musical love story that takes place over millions of years.[3] It is set to a song (also called "Lava") written by Murphy,[4] and was inspired by the "isolated beauty of tropical islands and the explosive allure of ocean volcanoes."[5] In an interview with Honolulu-based KHON-TV, Murphy explained that his interest in Hawaii began 25 years prior while honeymooning on the main island of Hawai'i. Shortly before the film production had begun, Murphy went back to Hawaii in order to "reconnect emotionally" with the land that sprung his inspiration.[6]

Years later, he heard Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World", which touched him.[7] "I put together this fascination and love and this experience I had with my wife in Hawaii, with this feeling I had for this song and thought, wow, if I could blend those two things, it would be really—a film I would love to see."[7]

The idea began to coalesce while attending the wedding of his sister, who married at the age of 43. "As my sister stood up on the altar, I thought about how happy she was and how long she'd waited for her very special day. There, at my sister’s wedding, I remembered Loihi and I had an epiphany... What if my sister was a volcano? And what if volcanoes spend their entire lives searching for love, like humans do?"[7] "Lava" is unique in that it lacks any verbal communication other than the song.[8]


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  1. ^ a b Keegan, Rebecca (July 11, 2014). "First Look: Pixar's 'Lava'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  2. ^ Emery, Debbie (June 19, 2015). "Pixar's Short Film 'Lava' Announced". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  3. ^ Calia, Michael (June 20, 2014). "Pixar Unveils Details of Next Projects: Inside Out and Lava". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  4. ^ Siegemund-Broka, Austin (June 20, 2014). "Pixar's Pete Docter Promises 'Inside Out' Will Break New Ground". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
  5. ^ Koch, Dave (May 29, 2014). "Inside Out Adds Animated Short". Big Cartoon News. Archived from the original on June 20, 2014. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  6. ^ Crawford, Trish (September 13, 2014). "Lava, a volcano full of love: Animator Jim Murphy directs first film, part of TIFF Short Cuts". Toronto Star. p. E.10. ProQuest 1563990550.
  7. ^ a b c "5 questions with Disney/Pixar's 'LAVA' director James Ford Murphy". KHON2. January 2, 2016.
  8. ^ Calia, Michael (June 26, 2015). "ARENA --- Movies & Books -- The Initial Attractions: 'Lava': Pixar Shorts: A Farm System for Storytellers". Wall Street Journal. p. D.4. ProQuest 1691212428.