• The meaning of life

Fugue

Synopsis :

A little character wants to take care of a young seed. As he goes off to look for water to feed it, he spots a cloud that he tries to catch with a net, but it gets away… And so begins a frantic chase to catch it.

Benshi's review :

The simple lines that form this film’s graphic universe coax viewers along on to a delicately rendered journey full of opposites and contrasts. In classical music a fugue is a contrapuntal technique for composing built on a theme that recurs throughout the composition and whose various parts create the impression of fleeing and running after something, which makes such a piece the perfect accompaniment for the surprising and high-paced adventure relayed in this short film. Sure enough, the music guides the character on his quest for water for the young plant. His odyssey takes him to unknown lands, especially as the cloud he’s pursuing turns out to be quite fickle, a fact that lends the film an amusing kind of domino effect. The music and colours play a very particular role in the film: they are connected to the character’s reactions, movements and emotions. And since his eagerness to find water is so strong, this is a very eventful quest! Just like the score, the colour contrasts and the different scale ratios reflect what the character is feeling. As we follow the quest we go from a madcap chase to total calmness, from all-in to flat-out, from a gentle musical world to a world with a much higher tempo, from sound to silence, and from colour to bareness. If you want to travel through an exceptional visual and musical world, make sure you catch this film!

Suitable for :

Since the music and artwork take viewers into almost abstract landscapes, we recommend this film for ages 5-6 and over.

Top reasons to watch the film :

  1. To discover an animated film in which music matches the highs and lows of the character’s quest for water.
  2. To enjoy a film in which the colours and music form a visual and sonic world of contrasts that match the character’s emotions.
  3. To talk about the role of sound and music in cinema, and of films with no dialogue in the musical comedy genre!
  • Keywords :

  • Music
  • Coming of age
  • Inventions