R&A Shorts: Eye Candy

A feast for the eyes! This overflowing treasure trove contains a mix of the most beautiful, captivating and aesthetically inspiring short films, the content of which is, however, anything but fluff.

Zootrope, which won the award for best student film at the world’s most prestigious animation festival, Annecy, last year, is a small snapshot of a zoo. Coloured with a subtly muted palette, the texture of this 2D animation is reminiscent of an ink drawing.

Elizabeth Hobbes, who captivated audiences widely a few years ago with her work The Debutante, returns with a new animation, Daughters of the Late Colonel, based on the short story of the same name published in 1920. Lines that move with anarchic, unrestrained freedom – traditionally drawn in ink and paint on paper – frame the story of two middle-aged sisters breaking free from the yoke of their oppressive father.

Filled with a tangy chaos energy, UM is artist Nieto’s latest creation. In this tale of the dark side, glowing in neon colours, bird-people wage a furious battle against demonic forces.

Corpus Christi is the story of Adela, whose mind has been shaken. As no one seems quite able to help her, she ends up seeking answers in religion. This serious subject matter is framed by an animation style of unprecedented splendour, which makes the entire film look like one giant piece of cross-stitch.

Daria’s Night Flowers tells about Iranian women, the secret language of flowers and a sapphic love story. Glowing in hundreds of shades of blue, the film mesmerises its viewer.

Annu Suvanto