Every Tuesday, Chris Robinson digests and dissects (relatively) new indie animation short films. Today: Rose (Kelsey) Stark's 2010 student work, LGFUAD.
Ah…I have fond memories of being on stage during the closing ceremonies of OIAF 2010. As a clip of Rose Stark’s LGFUAD played following the announcement that her film had been awarded the prize for Best Undergraduate animation, I turned and walked to the back of the stage to grab the award. As I returned to the podium, a gaggle of people – mostly parents and children - were fleeing the theatre. One person glared at me and shook their head in disapproval. I honestly had no idea what the fuck had happened and even looked to the audience and asked what was going on? Someone replied that I surely must have known what had happened. And okay…I do enjoy a good provocation at times, so it was fair to assume that I set this up. Only I hadn’t. It was only later that I learned that the clip one of my colleagues had selected was of an assortment of penises. Probably not the best choice of clips – especially with kids in the crowd. But that happens when everyone is exhausted and burnt out by festival end. I mean, in the end, the parents were cool about it. I mean, personally, putting my parent hat on, I don’t understand the big deal. First, they’re drawings. Second, the penis is a part of the human body. Not a big deal. Shouldn't be a big deal. Rather than rush out and make a big show of it, why not just talk to your kids after and maybe explain the context of it all instead of embracing the tiresome outraged parent persona – which only ends up making a bigger deal out of something that need not be a big deal.
Meantime, here’s a mindfuck of a film about the depraved, liberated lives of ghosts. Beautifully animated, comfortably discomforting and, I guess, really a metaphor for youth, the days of freedom, fucking and carefree living.
Maybe don’t watch it with the kids.
Or do.
Don’t ask me to parent your kids.
Dicks.
A well-known figure in the world of independent animation, writer, author & curator Chris Robinson is the Artistic Director of the Ottawa International Animation Festival.
