Weightless

Even a day by the lake on an idyllic summer’s day is little respite for young Felix from his melancholic life.  His overprotective mother chooses completely the wrong spot and the fact he is a wheelchair user disbars him from the short wooden pier and the welcoming waters of the lake.  He spots a pretty young girl and things begin to look up but when tragedy threatens to strike it is up to Felix to save the day.

Weightless is about that time in your life when you long to break free of the apron strings, when love comes calling for the first, breathless time and about achieving independence through your own actions, regardless of the cards you may have been dealt. I have been meaning to feature this charming short by Bobin Film for some time – and watching it again I have no clue why I haven’t – it’s just lovely. 

Cough: The Australian Flu Movie

The British media is at full throttle at the moment, spreading fear and panic about Australian Flu. So, it's great to see that Cough, a rather prescient short film has recently been made available for wider audiences. It is set in Australia and one can easily imagine that this is just a few short months down the line from today.

This is a post-infectious society on the verge of a collective breakdown, Cough (directed by Jason Kempnich) features the social effects of a deadly virus on just a few individuals.  When food shortages during the pandemic force recently widowed George to drive far from home to survive in search of food,  a simple purchase of rations derails when he stumbles upon a Shopkeeper's secret, placing all of them in mortal jeopardy.

A Magical Mermaid Miscellany

The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, Denmark, has entranced onlookers since it was erected in 1909. Yet there are statues of mermaids the world over – a testament to the way in which these alluring ladies of the sea have embedded themselves in global popular culture. Let’s take a tour around the world and visit some of the best.

Baltinore Easter Ross, Scotland

Image Credit Flickr User Mikeseye

Image Credit Flickr User IrenicRhonda

Where Do Fish Come From? This Animated Short Explains All

When the harvest of the sea fails, a fisherman goes in search of the origin of fish.  What he discovers is something quite magical.  This hugely enjoyable and beautifully crafted animated short is the work of five students who studied at – you guessed it – Supinfocom.  This marvelous school continues to produce world class animators and animation fans like myself greatly anticipate the release of the films each year. Enjoy!

intemporalité

Intemporalité is an experimental film made from a large number of photographs (technically its a Hyperlapse and timelapse combined).  The architecture of Paris is deliberately distorted by Didier Viodé but it retains its timelessness and beauty yet you will never have seen the French capital quite like this.  As another way to discover this amazing city it is quite something (even though I challenge anyone to become jaded with the real thing!).

Stolen

An old street musician, poor and lonely, finds that the one thing he needs to make a few pennies is stolen. Yet when he encounters a friendly street-wise dog his life is going to take an unexpected turn.  This charming and beautifully made animated short was created by a group of students at ESMA in France.  Amazing to think that this is a student film – one can only imagine what they will make when they enter the industry.

The Spiders That Decorate Their Own Webs

Spider webs – possibly the most beautiful and intricate animal structures of the natural world. However, some spiders are not content with a simple web. They go one step further. Our sibling site, the Ark in Space, today has a feature about these spiders, full of fascinating facts and amazing photos.  Go and take a look for yourself!

Aliah

Between reality, dreams and dreams of reality, time goes by.  Aliah is a young girl living in the ruins of a once prosperous town in Afghanistan.  War and civil strife has taken its toll and the young girl is left to her own devices, playing in the rubble.

Yet one day she discovers a music box. Through its sweet melody the girl relives years gone by and it comes to represent her hopes for a better world.

Written and directed by Valentino Bedini, this moving animated short was produced by LAB81, a young advertising agency that deals with business communication planning.

Would You Take a Vacation to Afghanistan?

Afghanistan has many amazing sights. Yet with the forthcoming withdrawal of US troops and the Taliban poised to seize power again it seems unlikely it will become a tourist destination any time soon. Here are just a few of the places travelers will most likely have to do without visiting for the foreseeable future.. Image Credit Flickr Use Nate Derrick

The Buddhas of Bamyan

Image Credit Flickr User Tracey Hunter

The Buddhas of Bamyan were built in the sixth century and stood, gently turning to dust, until 2001 until they were systematically destroyed by the Taliban in possibly the greatest act of cultural vandalism of the twenty first century so far.

Image Credit Flickr User United Nations Photo