The Returning Tree

Kuriositas is known for showcasing animations which might not otherwise get a broad audience on the internet – but it does have to be said that most we show are not intellectually challenging. We enjoy the chases, the escapade and the sheer vibrancy of animation which is made simply for the sake of the audience's amusement – and the laugh out loud element is often vital. However, sometimes animation is more than just that and so it should be – if it cannot at times confront its audience and provoke thought then it does not truly deserve to be considered an art form in its own right.

This being said, take a look at The Returning Tree. This is one of the more perplexing pieces I have come across this year but certainly one of the more visually stimulating and an incitement to contemplation if ever there was one. It was created by Yuri Serizawa as his graduation work at Digital Hollywood. I see it as a powerful extended visual metaphor for hope and the redemption of our species after our millennia long confrontation with nature. Perhaps and then again, maybe some higher power finally got fed up with us. Whatever you think, this is an animation that makes you think. And it’s pretty, too. What do you see?