short feature: Skhizein (2008)

Thanks to the miracle of the internet, we can all watch brilliant short features like this which just a few years ago would have never crossed our path. Who ever saw any of the "best animated short subject" nominees at the Oscars, even though they all look so cool? I want to share this award-winning French animated short with anyone who might not have seen it yet. It is less than 15 minutes long and is well worth the time.

It is brilliantly conceived, thought-provoking, and features a hauntingly beautiful score (too much clichéd praise? Or can I throw in "ominous" and "gripping"?) The story concerns a young man who is struck by a meteorite and finds himself living precisely 91 centimeters from himslef. If that doesn't make sense, well, you just have to see it for yourself.

Skhizein (Jérémy Clapin,2008) from Bertie on Vimeo.

And if you like cool, free, animated movies from talented people working outside the mainstream you might want to check out Sita Sings the Blues. (link) Sita Sings the Blues is a musical, animated interpretation of the Indian epic the Ramayana interspersed with musical interludes from the 1920's Jazz singer Annette Hanshaw, commentary, and events from the artist's personal life. Due to copyright issues the film could not be released commercially so the filmmakers decided to release it for free under a creative commons license. Roger Ebert has praised the film, among others.