Love on the Wing

A line-drawing love story in a surreal land, made to advertise Empire Air Mail but withheld due to "Freudian" symbolism.

By skipping the traditional trace and paint process of cel animation and drawing tiny characters directly onto a 35mm film strip, Glasgow-born animator Norman McLaren was able to unleash his unconscious onto the screen. Such freedom is visible in the film’s remarkable energy, but ultimately displeased its sponsor, the Postmaster General, who objected to what he perceived as "Freudian" imagery.

This government film is a public record, preserved and presented by the BFI National Archive on behalf of The National Archives, home to more than 1,000 years of British history.