Winner of the 2009 Oscar award of Best Animated Short Film, this delightful and melancholic film is easily one of my favorite films of all time.

The use of flood water to express how the weight of years passed soon outnumber the hope of years to come, is as effective as the message of how keeping ones head above water can become harder and harder. Watching the old man dive down, layer by layer, offers a sense of hope and acceptance of what has passed in a dramatically simple manner – let yourself fall and your mind will do the rest.

The aesthetic of this beautiful film is two-dimensional and sketched, showing a temporary nature to our homes, whilst showing a society that has learned to adapt to the changing environment. History exists beneath the water, and with it the drowning pain of loss, and whilst his house, the present, pierces the waves, many rooftops lie beneath. A deeply sad, yet pragmatic film.

La Maison en Petits Cubes from Steven Ray Cortidor on Vimeo.

Directed by: Kunio Katou