La Maison en Petits Cubes

It's amazing to see how such a short film can contain so much emotion by being so subtle. At a running time of 12 minutes, La Maison en Petits Cubes introduces us to an old man who lives in a tower. It's difficult to describe the plot of this film without spoiling what it's about, since it's a very short film. I think it best to go into this film completely surprised.

This film beautifully explores, through metaphor, the idea of forgotten memories and loss. The animation is a wonderful accompaniment to the story. Whereas most of the other films nominated this year feature slick computer-generated animation, La Maison en Petits Cubes' hand-drawn and colored scenes present the story the way we'd remember times of long ago. With animation that is softened, deep, and expressive, director Kunio Katô takes us on quite a journey. We see each grumble on the old man's face, and although he says nothing, his facial expressions, each perfectly animated, show us all we need to know. The music, composed by Kenji Kondô, sets the mood, and although it quietly plays in the background, without it the film wouldn't have the same effect. All of the elements come together to make this a memorable short film.