Why is it at the beginging of star wars it says “a long time ago” and yet it is set in the future?

Question: Why is it at the beginging of star wars it says "a long time ago" and yet it is set in the future?
- Keywords:
  ago,
  far away,
  film,
  future,
  long time,
  star wars
Asked by wkd4 to Alan, Caspar, Diana, Murray, Sarah on 25 Mar 2011 in Categories: Your Research.
- Sarah Thomas answered on 25 Mar 2011:
  
  It’s setting the scene and I guess if you add all the films togther quite a lot happens so I guess he is explaining that he is telling the story after everything has happened, even though you are right in that it is set in the future!
  
  (awesome question, how on earth did you come up with that?!)

Question: Why is it at the beginging of star wars it says "a long time ago" and yet it is set in the future?