SNAPSHOT
In a small village ruled by ridiculous laws, three singing sisters and their dog rehearse for the Annual Autumn Festival. But an unexpected event will disrupt their plans.Dans un petit village régi par des lois ridicules, trois sœurs chanteuses et leur chien répètent pour le festival annuel d’automne. Mais un événement inattendu va bouleverser leurs plans. (synopsis courtesy YouTube)
The Soloists, one of 12 films released showcasing the word of the GOBELINS, l’école de l’image in Paris, is a sublimely lovely piece of animated art.
Whimsical, funny and sweet with three elderly sisters at its heart who will very quickly make their way into your heart, The Soloists also possesses a sage and sobering message about the lack of freedoms that many women around the world experience.
If that sounds like a very heavy message to embed in a what is to all intents and purposes a bright, light and gorgeously silly story, don’t worry.
Much like Pixar, who are referenced on Short of the Week by Rob Munday as an example of how seamlessly you can weave together light and dark to brilliantly thoughtful effect, The Soloists places a necessarily important story within a delightful absurdist tale that will have you laughing as much as it causes you to ruminate on the fact that, according to the creative team, “there are still real places that exist with these kinds of ridiculous laws and dogma”. (Short of the Week)
It is a rich, beautiful piece of insightfully hilarious animation and very much worth just under eight minutes of your time (including the credits for which the animation is a sobering joy).