Short films are given a bad rep. They often have no published IMDb ratings, giving viewers no way to know if these films are a complete waste of time. Sometimes, they have barely hashed out characters that leave audiences with an unsatisfying lack of closure. And more often than not, they follow the same tired clichés.
Done right, however, short films offer a powerful yet compact medium through which to engage viewers — and that’s exactly what the animated shorts at this year’s South by Southwest accomplished. Of the seven animated shorts screened at the festival, three stood out to me with their creative animations, profound storytelling and darkly humorous commentary.
“Baggage” by Lucy Davidson
What’s it like being a woman in today’s world? For many, it means holding onto a host of insecurities related to outward appearance, feelings of inadequacy and fears of not being loved. Using a clever play on words, “Baggage” portrays what it means to carry emotional baggage (haha, get it?) and how to find support in an otherwise antagonistic world.
Animated with stop motion by Aardman Animation Studios (“Wallace & Gromit”), this short follows three anthropological female suitcases as they pass through an “insecurity check” at the airport. All goes smoothly until the last suitcase, the heaviest one, is invasively inspected by the insecurity officers. The officers rummage through her emotional weight and poke fun at the things she feels least confident in.
Despite being about three nameless suitcases, this no-dialogue, five-minute animated short managed to move me to the point where I swear I could have shed a tear. By balancing comedic puns like, “What’s weighing you down?” and the delicate moments that exemplify true friendship, “Baggage” advances its storytelling by giving audiences something humorous and beautiful to appreciate. The most sentimental aspect of “Baggage,” though, is its testament to the strength of female friendships — how best to uplift others than by taking off emotional weight?
“My Wonderful Life” by Calleen Koh
What does it mean to be loved and valued? Is it only when you do things for others? Are you worth anything if you don’t? “My Wonderful Life,” through comically expressive characters and bantering dialogue, answers these questions by addressing themes of unconditional love and transactional relationships.
Grace Lee (Yeo Yann Yann, “American Born Chinese”) is an overworked mother and personal assistant. Whether it be her manager, her family or the starving kitten outside of her home, Grace spends all her waking hours in the service of others. Just when she thinks she can’t bear to handle her overwhelming life anymore, she gets hospitalized at work — and surprisingly finds solace as a carefree patient. Her boss sends her “get well soon” flowers, her family is finally concerned about her well-being and her doctors heed her every call — no matter how insignificant. However, when Grace can be discharged, she finds what seems like a million gruesome, gory ways to remain a patient and avoid her pile of responsibilities.
No one deserves to see hospitals as a refuge from their home and work life, and no one deserves to use sickness as an excuse to hide from those closest to them. “My Wonderful Life” exaggerates one’s desperation to escape real-world demands, but its message is sobering yet necessary: How unavailable do you have to get for those reliant on you to realize your value? In a society that is ever moving toward workaholism and tends to ascribe self-worth to achievement, we should remind ourselves that we are enough, even without the litany of accolades.
“Retirement Plan” by John Kelly
Life is short and time is finite. For many working professionals and busy college students, their priorities are often put on the back burner. Productivity and speed are at the forefront of our minds, placing our social lives, hobbies and interests on a never-ending “things I’ll do when I have time” list. Inspired by director John Kelly’s (debut) own midlife crisis, “Retirement Plan” confronts man’s mortality through the vehicle of Ray (Domhnall Gleeson, “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway”).
Leading us through Ray’s internal monologue about what he wants to do in his rosy post-retirement life — like reading unfinished books, answering flagged emails and adopting various pets — “Retirement Plan” follows Ray through the last quarter of his life to portray the self-discovery and exploration he put off during his working years. We gradually follow Ray as he ages into an elderly gentleman giving his last words on his deathbed, which imbues a sense of existentialism amid absurdly specific tasks, like “I will order wine by year and specific area of Italy, but not in an annoying way.”
It’s no question how “Retirement Plan” won the animated shorts competition at South by Southwest this year. It was saddening and poignantly reflective, yet optimistic and entertaining. Even though our time on Earth is limited, some memories and people make it worthwhile when we give them the right amount of attention. Perhaps, that outlook can change the way our life looks after we retire.
This year’s animated shorts debunked many negative misconceptions associated with the medium. Just because the characters have cartoonish features doesn’t mean it’ll be harder to see and feel their emotions through the screen. Just because they took place in everyday settings doesn’t mean they can’t confer refreshing perspectives. Most importantly, just because the run time is 40 minutes or less doesn’t mean the film will have any less impact than a two-hour feature.
Daily Arts Writer Michelle Wu can be reached at michewu@umich.edu.
The post SXSW 2025: Animated Shorts Highlights appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
Leave a Reply