Pushing Boundaries
A programme of National Film and Television School animation films connected by dark subject matter, curated from our collection by Daniel Turner.
Pombo Loves You - a still from the film, 4 of 6 (2015) by Stephen WarneNational Film and Television School
This collection focuses on animation films that push the boundaries of the form to explore serious and often dark subject matter. From questions of identity to family dynamics each film in this collection tackles the complexities of its subject with subtlety and creative flair.
The Bigger Picture (2014)
In The Bigger Picture, tensions rise between two brothers as their mother’s health declines. Beautifully blending animation forms, Daisy Jacobs incorporates both hand-drawn elements and Claymation to create a heart-breaking and imaginatively innovative film.
Pineapple Calamari (2014)
The serene life of a racehorse is interrupted by tragedy in Kasia Nalewajka’s moving and darkly comic Claymation. Expertly crafted, the film creatively balances a dry comedic tone with a moving examination of grief and companionship.
Jamón (2013)
In Jamon, an anthropomorphic pig named Jose tries to come to terms with his own identity and how he fits in with the rest of his family. Iria Lopez’s film is both visually striking and emotionally complex as it explores themes of identity, family, and shame.
Pombo Loves You (2015)
In Steve Warne’s Pombo Loves You, a distant father finds he must confront a trauma from his past to connect with his child. Warne’s film is a bold and daring visual journey into one man’s past that is full of texture and emotional nuance.
Yellow Belly End (2009)
Philip Bacon’s Yellow Belly End is a dark and mysterious animation exploring a number of existential themes. Stylistically unique both in its visuals and use of sound, Bacon’s oblique film raises more questions than answers.
The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Lion (2010)
An isolated young deaf boy becomes obsessed with a Lion after a trip to the zoo. Alois De Leo’s film inventively utilises sound and a hand drawn animation style to envelop us in the boy’s world as his obsession with the Lion threatens to have catastrophic consequences.
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