A loose interpretation of the Minoan myth, as seen through the monster's point of view. Abandoned in a labyrinthine island, the childlike minotaur has as his only companion a playful red ball and a multitude of mirrors. When he sees his own image he imagines himself dancing in perfect synchronicity with a mysterious other. But new characters are brought to the island, and they don't behave like his choreographed twins. Confused and frustrated, the creature has to learn to adapt to a world of uncertainty. But when he can't, the monster's true nature is revealed. Most of the character animation was originally hand-drawn on a light table, cut out and mounted on rigid cardboard. This was done so that each replacement could stand up vertically within a three-dimensional set. The set was then lit with fibre-optic lights and shot in stop-motion, using a 16mm Bolex camera. Some of the animation was done as hinged cut-out puppets on glass, using a multi-plane rig.
Production
Hand-drawn cardboard puppets in 3D sets with fiber-optic lighting
Direction
Sousa makes nine minutes feel like an ancient myth collapsing
Editing
Mirror choreography so precise you'll check your own reflection
Director
Daniel Sousa
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Sousa later directed Oscar-nominated 'Feral' (2013) using similar hybrid techniques. This was his thesis film at RISD.
The multi-plane glass animation technique directly references Lotte Reiniger's 1926 'The Adventures of Prince Achmed'—but Reiniger never made her shadows this existentially bleak.
US
