Anapoda

Directed by Octavian Fedorovici, music by Alexander Balanescu & The Balanescu Quartet.

Description: A weird little piece of Romanian animation, created by a student of the Cluj Napoca university of Arts and Design. Although the overall meaning, I have to say, eludes me a bit, it is a refreshing bit of animation with an interesting technique and some touching violin notes to go along. Enjoy.

Directed by Peter Foldes.

Description (Robert Reynolds): This short, produced by the National Film Board of Canada, was nominated for an Academy Award. Once you’ve seen it, you’ll see why. Not easily forgotten, although you may wish to. The choice of animation styles was made, I suspect, deliberately, in order to keep viewers off-balance. It’s a perfect choice. A thought-provoking, extremely unsettling look at hunger in many forms. If you are easily disturbed or offended, this probably isn’t for you. Otherwise, highly recommended.

IMDB link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0071636/

[ Mature content warning ]

Direct by Anthony Lucas and written by Mark Shirrefs.

Description: Set in a steam-powered mechanical universe, the animation tells the story of Jasper Morello, an aerial navigator fallen out of grace, and his adventurous trip in search of a cure for his plague-ridden homeworld and his one true love. In his journey, Morello discovers and abandoned dirigible by chance, a discovery which leads him through unknown water, to an island dwelled by a terrible monster, a monster which may however hold the cure to the terrible plague. The journey back to civilization is a horrific and turbulent one, ridden with philosophical introspection which finally leads Morello to the realization that the worst plague of all lies within man itself. Although not a watch for everyone, and definitely not one to show the kids, “The mysterious explorations of Jasper Morello” excels through excellent animation and visual imagery, a very well composed story and last but not least the wonderful voice narration and characters.

IMDB link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0469146/

Directed and written by Bruno Bozzetto.

Description: Grasshoppers (Cavallette) is a sardonic look at history and make a very effective point about the ultimate realities and who the victors of war really are. The animation is excellently drawn and while the background music isn’t extraordinary, the action and the general message makes it well worth watching. Do not miss this ironic outlook at humanity’s troubled and violent history.

Seeing this animation also makes a poem named “Grass” come to mind, written by Carl Sandburg, which I will allow myself to share with you:

Grass

Pile the bodies up at Austerlitz and Waterloo,
Shovel them under and let me work
I am the grass I cover all.
And pile them high at Gettysburg and pile them high at Ypres and Verdun,
Shovel them under and let me work
Two years, ten years, and passengers will ask the conductor,
What place is this? Where are we now?
I am the grass let me work.

IMDB link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0099696/

Created and written by Till Nowak. Music by Andreas Hornschuh and Matthias Hornschuh.

Description: Sci-fi animation short that sort of re-iterates the popular idea of “What would you do if you were God”, in a differently “packaged” way. Although it lacks dialog, the environment-centered message is transmitted in a straightforward but artistic fashion. The animation, one could say, is flawlessly executed, and the music accompanies it nicely. So. Would you do the same if one day you received the world in a box?

IMDB link : http://imdb.com/title/tt0756639/