Animated Shorts

Our Uniform

There is a Disclaimer, in this film about the  Hijab, which is mandatory, in Tehran, Iran where the girls in the story are from. The animation is on fabric, which is based on true stories. Iran doesn’t like the United States or Israel so they teach down with us/Israel chant in schools. The film has narration, explaining everything that goes on in the short movie.  Once the girls are back home they are allowed to play music and they can take off their uniform. More or less they are allowed to be normal girls in their homes. The film is  by Yegane Moghaddam & Jalil K Moghaddam.

3 1/2 stars

Letter To A Pig

This movie is from Multicultural Productions & Hive Studios It’s mostly black and white with some flashes of color. The  film is from Tal Kantor.  There is a pig which is pink, where a boy is hiding in a pig style. The story flash-forward to an old man telling a story of his experience. His hands are realistic while the rest of him is animated. He reads a letter to a class full of kids. The girl in the class puts herself in the shoes of the man telling his story,  this is a story about a Jewish boy running from Nazis in WWII. The pig could have given him away by squealing but doesn’t. Which allows him to survive to tell his story.

3 stars

Pachyderme

This film is French. It has beautifully painted animation. There is an elephant tusk hanging on the wall in the house. A little girl, grandpa, and grandmother all live in the house together. Sometimes the girl goes fishing, swimming, and hangs out while spending time together with her grandfather. He doesn’t let her out of his sight. This is a sweet little film about family and enjoying the time you have. The elephant tusk represents old age and wisdom. 

3 stars

Ninety-Five Senses

An old man named Coy is telling his story. He ended up in prison for various crimes, and the animation changes from different styles, painted when it’s the old man, and colors and shapes mimic the story he’s trying to tell, Coy is voiced by Tim Blake Nelson and the film is directed by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess, written by Chris Bowman & Hubbel Palmer,  This is a movie about telling what happened to this man when he did wrong and where he ended up after he was gone. It’s a bit somber but works for what the story is all about.

2 1/2 stars

War Is Over

This film is from Weta FX, It takes place in WWI. It has Breathtaking Computer Animation combined with hand-drawn animation,  The jist of the story is about a soldier gives a pigeon a message to deliver, as he is playing a game of chess, The Pigeon delivers the message to a guy on the otherwise of “No Man’s Land” and this proceeds as they continue to play the chess match. Until a full ground assault starts.  There is blood and guts everywhere and the two guys who were playing chess end up trying to kill each other on the battlefield. A battle song about Christmas plays, from the Beatles. The theme is that even two opposing men from warring countries can come together.   The War is Over, is written/directed by Dave Mullins,.

4 stars

By Dan Skip Allen