- Gwenn Germain’s two-and-a-half-minute Celles et Ceux des Cimes et Cieux is beautiful but empty. Though its fantastical tale of a boy who literally falls into a world of magic and adventure is lushly animated, it feels choppy and rushed, moving through the story so quickly that it’s quite difficult for us to keep up. In fact, the whole thing feels like a teaser for a larger project, especially given the ambiguously moody music that feels more like a trailer soundtrack than a plot-related score. Still, Germain’s visuals are stunning, hearkening back to the works of Miyazaki and early Disney. See the short here.
- One Bright Dot, a two-minute short from Clément Morin, is abstract filmmaking done right. The essentially plotless short (it really is about one bright dot) features breathtaking animation and an exquisite score, both of which build to an ending that’s sure to cause a smile. The film is like nothing I’ve ever seen, and I find myself completely enchanted by it. Check it out here.
- Vincent Campbell’s six-minute Back Light isn’t particularly original, but its stars make up for it. The short cuts back and forth between two scenes of a relationship – one near the beginning, and one at the very end. It’s nothing that hasn’t been done before, but the two leads, Julie Vignau and Yohann Vorillon, have excellent chemistry, and they speak volumes while saying little. Find the film here.
Leave a Reply