One of the most interesting and innovative filmmakers working in the animation medium today is Don Hertzfeldt. You might not know his name, but if you had thing-quoting friends in the 2000s, you’ve certainly heard of some of his work. A maker of short films, primarily, generally involving simply-animated, but immensely deep or flawed characters doing something weird, or existing or the like. They’re a little absurd, a little out-there, but a lot poignant. The first thing that I remember of his was the 2000 film Rejected, a series of commercials that didn’t go anywhere, which contains the immortal exchange “My spoon’s too big!” “I am a banana!”
In 2012, Hertzfeld compiled three shorts into a 62 minute film entitled It’s Such a Beautiful Day, which is one of the most bizarre, funny, yet heartbreaking things you’re likely ever to watch. It’s on Netflix right this second, so go and watch this thing. Then, last year, he was given the opportunity to direct a couch gag for an episode of The Simpsons which is perfectly within his crazy squiggly line style.
I tell you all of this so I can tell you about his newest short, World of Tomorrow, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year and won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film. It’s being hailed as the best science fiction film in the past however-many decades and it’s only 17 minutes long. It’s about a little girl named Emily who is visited by her directed descendant from millennia in the future who tells her all about how mankind has progressed. If you’re familiar with Hertzfeldt’s work, you’ll probably be able to guess the ultimate tone.
Here’s a look at the film’s trailer.
It will be available for download on March 31st on Hertzfeldt’s official site. Worth a look in a month and a half? You bet your stick-figure face.
