Beside the Track (2008)

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Movie
German title Next to the track
Original title Skhizein
Country of production France
original language French
Publishing year 2008
length 13 minutes
Rod
Director Jérémy Clapin
script Jérémy Clapin,
Stéphane Piera
production Wendy Griffiths ,
Stéphane Piera
music Nicolas Martin
camera Jérémy Clapin,
Jean-François Sarazin
cut Jérémy Clapin
occupation

In addition to the track (original title Skhizein from ancient Greek σχίζειν / s'chizein “split off”, see also schizophrenia ) is a French, animated short film from 2008 by Jérémy Clapin , who both directed and wrote the screenplay. The film was nominated and awarded at various film festivals . Among other things, it won the Kodak Short Film Award at the Cannes Film Festival , where it premiered, the Audience Award at the Festival d'Animation Annecy and in 2009 the SWR Audience Award at the Stuttgart Animated Film Festival .

action

The film begins with Henry, the main character in the story, who is in the practice of a psychotherapist and complains to him of his suffering. Before he was hit by a 150-ton meteorite , he was normal like everyone else and did not float in midair, 91 cm from himself. The viewer can see that Henry is not lying on the therapist's couch, but rather next to it, floating in midair.

Looking back, one learns how one evening, while he was cleaning his apartment, Henry was suddenly hit by a meteorite that was heading straight for him when he was looking out the window. However, the expected damage from a meteorite impact does not occur. Neither Henry nor the house he lives in suffered the slightest damage. When asked by his therapist whether there was no actual damage, Henry replies that only he and the antenna opposite his house were affected.

Looking back, it is made clear to the viewer and Henry alike that although he did not suffer any physical injuries from the impact, he is now exactly 91 centimeters from himself, which means that he has to sit 91 centimeters from an armchair if he is wants to sit exactly on it, has to reach 91 centimeters from the door handle if he wants to operate it, 91 cm from the actual door has to go through the wall if he wants to go through the door, etc.

After he has become clear about the new unusual circumstances, he gradually begins to paint his apartment and its furniture with chalk offset 91 cm on the wall and the floor in order to better find his way around his own four walls. He explains that living at home is not a problem and is just a matter of organization. However, due to his condition, he is not spared problems at work. He said he was afraid of losing his job and said it couldn't go on like this. He tells his therapist that he is of the opinion that he cannot help him either and that all he really wants is to be back in his place.

When he discovers another meteorite in the sky one evening, Henry decides not to let it escape and follows him by car to a wide open field where he is likely to hit, to position himself, to hit again and again to be restored to its normal state. He manages to find himself exactly on the point of impact before the meteorite hits. He meets him. It is blinded.

In Henry's apartment again, you can see the smudged chalk drawings on the wall, which Henry roughly removed with a wet sponge. The suggestion that Henry has removed it because he is back in normal condition are immediately shattered when it becomes clear that Henry is now not only 91 cm from him, but also 74 cm below himself. In this state he continues to work and to his therapy, but no changes are made.

At the end, Henry sits crouched alone in his apartment; the message on his answering machine indicates that he is withdrawing more and more, no longer answering calls, no longer answering the phone and being largely isolated from the world. He explains that you would only be told that it would hit 1 in 100 people and that they would never tell you how crazy you really are, just that you no longer have everyone together or stand next to you. At this moment, three more meteorites hit his apartment at the same time. When he opens his eyes he is flying far out in space and wondering what the point is of knowing exactly how far you are from yourself and declaring that it is him from where he is now , don't care anymore.

reception

Jennie Kermode of EyeForFilm.com noted that many people have no idea what schizophrenia is, and that Jérémy Clapin created a touching story that immersed the viewer in Henri's immediate emotional world. In doing so, he creates a metaphor for all other types of mental illness . Julien Boisselier's sober, melancholy narrative style absorbs the viewer from what is happening on this “strange journey”. Marilyn Ferdinand from FerdyOnFilms.com sees Beside the Track as a stirring chamber play that is open to interpretation. The animation , a combination of traditional drawings by Clapin and computer renderings by Jean-François Sarazin, Loli Irala and Raphael Bot-Gartner, is both cranky (“quirky”) and moving (“poignant”), especially at the end. The sound design by Marc Piera was "hyper-realistic". Jason Sondhi from ShortOfTheWeek.com saw Clapin's techniques in the film, compared to his previous film Une histoire vertébrale , improved in terms of design, background details and character animation, which for him explains the great success of the film.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Eike Kühl: Short film: "Skhizein". Zeit Online , December 9, 2013, accessed March 8, 2014 .
  2. ↑ Jennie Kermode: Skhizein. eyeforfilm.com, February 10, 2010, accessed March 8, 2014 .
  3. ↑ Marilyn Ferdinand: Skhizein (2008). ferdyonfilms.com, accessed March 8, 2014 .
  4. ↑ Jason Sondhi: Skhizein. shortoftheweek.com, accessed March 8, 2014 .