Skip to content
Accessibility
Animation on Life and Death (27)
-
AfterlifeIshu Patel 1978 7 minThis animated short film attempts to answer the eternal questions, What is dying? and How does it feel? Based on recent studies, case histories and some of the ancient myths, the afterlife state is portrayed as an awesome but methodical working-out of all the individual's past experiences. Film without words. -
BeginningsClorinda Warny , Suzanne Gervais , … 1980 8 minFilm d'animation créé de dessins pastels, Premiers Jours nous trace le cycle complet de la vie, de la naissance à l'âge adulte, en quatre saisons, et à travers l'évolution de paysages terrestres devenus corps humains.
-
BydloPatrick Bouchard 2012 8 minAn allegory of mankind heading for disaster, this animated short is a tragic vision inspired by the 4th movement of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Drawing on the composer’s brilliant ability to evoke work and labour in his music, animator Patrick Bouchard brings earth to life through animated clay sculptures, creating a tactile nightmare in which man is his own slave driver.
-
BatmilkBrandon Blommaert 2009 1 minIn this animated short, an oafish ghoul and his soft exposed brain are met with ruin when the brain is unexpectedly killed. Though paralyzed, the ghoul attains a fresh brain and is fed with new life.
Produced as part of the 5th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship. -
Blue Like a GunshotMasoud Raouf 2003 5 minDiscover a short, animated film that explores the conflict between nature, civilization, and the absurd vanity of human warfare. With its interplay of shadow and light, this film is sure to sweep you away.
-
Blind VayshaTheodore Ushev 2016 8 minThis short film tells the story of Vaysha, a young girl born with one green eye and one brown eye. But colour isn’t the only thing that’s different about Vaysha’s gaze. While her left eye sees only the past; her right sees only the future. Like a terrible curse, Vaysha’s split vision prevents her from inhabiting the present. Blinded by what was and tormented by what will be, she remains trapped between two irreconcilable temporalities. “Blind Vaysha,” they called her.
In this metaphoric tale of timeless wisdom and beauty based on the eponymous short story by Georgi Gospodinov, filmmaker Theodore Ushev reminds us of the importance of keeping our sights on the present moment. -
Cat's CradlePaul Driessen 1974 10 minThis short animated fable stars witches, cloaked riders and other Gothic characters, in a tale about the hungry natural world. Here the artist plays cat's cradle with ideas, especially the notion that one thing leads to another and that lives lead from one to another. Without words but featuring a witch's brew of sounds.
-
The ConquerorsTibor Banoczki & Sarolta Szabo 2011 12 minIn this animated short, a young couple washed onto a strange, inhospitable shore, attempts to transform the land into an Eden. Through great effort they prosper, learning to conquer nature and their environment. But what will their victory mean? Alternately a vision of paradise and purgatory, with allusions to the Book of Genesis and prehistory, the film tells the story of human beings and their conquests, offering a dark, critical view of the rise and fall of civilizations.
-
Charles and FrançoisCo Hoedeman 1988 15 minA touching story of the friendship between a grandfather and his grandson, this is a film about aging and death. Award-winning animator Co Hoedeman combines 3-D and cut-out animation techniques to create a very dramatic and moving film. The story follows Charles and François through the different stages of their lives. With time, they become closer, common experiences having diminished the difference in age. By the end of the film, time appears to stand still; both are over one hundred years old and they are almost indistinguishable.
-
Come Again in SpringBelinda Oldford 2007 11 minThis gentle tale about mortality works in subliminal ways. When an old man is visited by Death at his home in the meadows, he has to delve deep to secure more time for himself. Does he have the strength to find the answers he needs? Can we negotiate our time on earth? How do we reconcile our mortal fate? A lyrical look at a reality as old as humanity, yet as young as today. Based on a story by Richard Kennedy.
-
Drux FluxTheodore Ushev 2008 4 minPart figurative, part abstract, Drux Flux is an animated short comprised of fast-flowing images showing modern people crushed by industry. Inspired by One-Dimensional Man, by philosopher Herbert Marcuse, the filmmaker deconstructs industrial scenes and their terrifying geometry to show the inhumanity of progress.
-
The Danish PoetTorill Kove 2006 14 minIf you’ve heard of the butterfly effect, how about the falling cow impact? Whimsical, philosophical and absurdly hilarious, this NFB animated short by Oscar®-winning director Torill Kove follows Kasper, a poet whose creative well has run dry, as he attempts to answer some big questions. Can we trace the chain of events that lead to our own birth? Is our existence just coincidence? Do little things matter? It turns out that where Kasper is concerned, seemingly unrelated factors such as bad weather, an angry dog, a careless postman, hungry goats and the aforementioned deadly bovine might play important roles in the grand scheme of things after all.
-
Don't Let the Sun Catch You CryingNatalie Baird & Toby Gillies 2024 7 minDon’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying is a short meditation on love, grief, and imagination. The hand-drawn animated documentary was created through a collaboration between mother, elder and narrator Edith Almadi and filmmakers Natalie Baird and Toby Gillies. This poetic piece celebrates life and the transformative ability of art to elevate and transcend us. Through vivid drawings and Edith’s simple yet magical words, the film explores our enduring bond with loved ones who have passed. In honouring her son’s life within the cosmos, Edith’s artworks embody colours, shapes and metaphors that remind us of the timeless power of love, gravity, and grace until our final breaths.
-
FluxChristopher Hinton 2002 7 minA whimsical animated piece about life, entropy and the inexorable march of time that plays with the mundane interactions and significant events of two generations of a family and the natural order. A film without words.
-
Git GobPhilip Eddolls 2009 1 minIn this animated short from the Hothouse 5 series, two creatures wonder, What is a hole? They have different points of view. Their debate leads to an idea, an idea that changes the world. This is a story of practical magic.
Produced as part of the 5th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship. -
How Death Came to EarthIshu Patel 1971 14 minA legend from India, interpreted by a filmmaker from that country. It is a story of gods and men, of suns and moons and Earth, interpreted with an animation style and a richness of colour and design as arresting to the eye as the story and the music are to the ear. Sometimes the illustrations are painted on cells, sometimes the figures are cut-outs moving across shining backgrounds, but always the pace is gentle, inevitable.
-
Here and the Great ElsewhereMichèle Lemieux 2012 14 minThis abstract yet compelling philosophical tale uses the Alexeïeff-Parker pinscreen as a metaphor for the particles that make up the universe. Through 4 tableaux that explore her character’s thoughts, filmmaker Michèle Lemieux takes a look at the profound reflections of this everyman, whose questions are part of humanity’s eternal quest for meaning.
-
HARVEYJanice Nadeau 2023 9 minA short film adapted from the graphic novel of the same name, HARVEY depicts a young boy who candidly recalls the spring day when his world turned upside down. Filled with original little touches and told through the eyes of a child with an overflowing imagination, this luminous work by Janice Nadeau, featuring elegant music by Martin Léon, poetically examines bereavement and coping with the loss of a parent.
-
IcarusPaul Bochner 1974 7 minThis short animation artfully revisits the Greek myth of Icarus. The son of the master craftsman Daedalus, creator of the Labyrinth, Icarus attempts to escape the island of Crete by means of a pair of wings constructed by his father. Upon receiving these wings, made from feathers and wax, he is told to fly neither too low, where the sea’s dampness would clog his wings, nor too high, where the sun’s heat would melt them -- precious advice the hubristic Icarus tragically won’t heed.
-
In the LabyrinthRoman Kroitor , Colin Low , … 1979 21 minA film without commentary in which multiple images, sometimes complementary, sometimes contrasting, draw the viewer through the different stages of a labyrinth. The tone of the film moves from great joy to wrenching sorrow; from stark simplicity to ceremonial pomp. It is life as it is lived by the people of the world, each one, as the film suggests, in a personal labyrinth.
In the Labyrinth was first released as a multi-screen presentation for Chamber III of the Labyrinth at Expo 67. These separate images were integrated into a single strand of film, using a "five-on-one" cinematic technique. -
Kaspar (Inspired by the Life of Kaspar Hauser)Diane Obomsawin 2012 8 minThis animated short by Diane Obomsawin tells the story of Kaspar, a young man who discovers life - and light - after spending his entire life in a dark cave with a small wooden horse as only company. Based on the story of Kaspar Hauser, the famous 19th century orphan who has inspired countless artists.
-
Ludovic - Visiting GrandpaCo Hoedeman 2001 11 minIt's summer and Ludovic is invited to his grandfather's farm. The little teddy bear finds Grandpa very saddened by the death of Grandma, and Ludovic is fascinated by a room filled with mementos. Grandma's portrait comes to life, and Ludovic is able to kiss and hug her. This poignant tale evokes the closeness and understanding between a grandfather and his little grandson who gradually learn to accept the death of a loved one.
-
Rusting WorldLaurent Coderre 1980 6 minThe scene is a desolate landscape that reveals no signs of life. Out of the stillness emerge two opposing factions, both wanting possession of a shiny object. This allegorical film suggests a decaying world created by greed, but the ultimate interpretation rests with the viewer.
-
RunawayCordell Barker 2009 9 minCordell Barker, director of the Oscar®-nominated films The Cat Came Back , Strange Invaders, is back with Runaway. Set to the rousing music of Ben Charest (Triplets of Belleville), this animated short takes you on a journey that is both funny and disastrous.
-
Shannon AmenChris Dainty 2019 14 minTRIGGER WARNING: This film contains the following subject matter: Suicide and self harm.
If you are affected by the topics addressed in the film, we encourage you to reach out to someone you trust.
Shannon Amen unearths the passionate and pained expressions of a young woman overwhelmed by guilt and anxiety as she struggles to reconcile her sexual identity with her religious faith. A loving elegy to a friend lost to suicide. -
This Is MeRon Tunis 1979 27 minSome of life's most profound questions are tackled by ten children ranging in age from six to eleven. They give their spontaneous views on God, the beginning of life, what happens to the spirit when one dies, where one's soul goes at night, and numerous other questions about life. The magic of animation and modern camera techniques illustrate the children's imaginative ruminations and conclusions. This is a delightful film for children and adults.
-
Tragic Story with Happy EndingRegina Pessoa 2005 7 minA little girl finds acceptance in embracing her own difference. This lyrical animated film has the timeless charm of an old fable - one whose subject is difference and self-affirmation. Through images evoking the rich texture of a woodblock print, the filmmaker has created a world of contrasts complemented by a lively soundtrack with a rhythmic beat. Technique: photocopies with images scratched into India ink on glossy paper. Lesson plan: www.nfb.ca/guides
