Organic Matter
2024 · 4m · USA
Directed by Emily Halaka
Genres: animation, experimental, sci-fi
Tones: contemplative, surreal, whimsical
A group of scavengers navigate a surreal, acid-colored planet in the aftermath of an ecological reckoning. Palm-tree-headed beings row boats through obscure landscapes till the water runs dry.
Picked by Felix
The scouts
Animated apocalypse done in secondary colors and palm-tree heads — climate grief that refuses to be solemn about it. The whimsy is the ambush.
Emily Halaka's post-apocalyptic animation built on secondary colors and obscure landscapes sounds like a successor to René Laloux's Fantastic Planet — high-risk, high-reward.
Palm-tree-headed scavengers rowing through dried-up secondary-color landscapes — at 4 minutes, this is a tight little post-apocalypse-as-nursery-decor short with a Carter Watson score giving it room to breathe.
Reviews
Halaka delightfully illustrates and animates their playful interactions.