S.P.L.A.S.H.
1980 · 12m · Canada
Directed by Michael Mills
Genres: animation, documentary, family
Tones: contemplative, whimsical
Personified raindrops commanded by a chief trace the journey of water from rainfall to its final destination, illustrating the strain placed on waterways by farming, industry, and growing cities.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
It's a PSA wrapped in whimsy, which sounds like the worst possible combination, but the sheer weirdness of anthropomorphic water droplets taking orders from a rain chief actually *works* — it's almost absurdist enough to sidestep the sermon.
A formally inventive entry in the educational animation canon from the National Film Board's golden era; the personification framework gives it genuine narrative structure while the contemplative tone distinguishes it from cruder environmental messaging of its decade.
The decision to give the water droplets distinct personalities and a hierarchical command structure transforms what could've been a sterile diagram into something with actual dramatic stakes — you're watching characters navigate systems, not just following an arrow on a map.