Tennis, Oranges
2024 · 11m · USA
Directed by Sean Pecknold
Tones: contemplative, melancholic, surreal, tender, whimsical
A burned-out robot vacuum quits its job at a pandemic-era hospital and wanders to LA’s Chinatown, where it befriends two solitary rabbits trapped in repetitive daily loops — and quietly brings unexpected connection and purpose to each of them.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Burned-out Roomba quits its pandemic hospital job and bonds with lonely rabbits in LA Chinatown, in Mandarin, no dialogue. The premise is doing more work than it should be allowed to. I love it.
Pecknold gives a Roomba genuine emotional interiority through stop-motion, with nearly wordless Mandarin storytelling rooted in his actual LA Chinatown neighborhood — the Paperman and Lost Thing comparisons are honest. A real object.
Sean Pecknold (yes, that family) directing a 10:53 stop-motion piece about a burned-out Roomba befriending lonely rabbits in LA Chinatown, performed nearly wordless in Mandarin. The lived-in location specificity and the Roomba-as-protagonist conceit are the kinds of choices that only work if the maker actually means them.
Reviews
Tennis, Oranges is a surreal animated ballet that explores themes of loneliness, mortality, and our desperate need for connection — both a visual treat and a tender exploration of the human condition.
I never thought a Roomba could look so sad. Pecknold’s film reminds us that if we take time to see those around us, life can offer profound beauty and meaning.
Festivals
- SXSW 2024
- Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2024
- AFI Fest 2024
- Palm Springs ShortFest 2024
- Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival 2024, Grand Jury Prize for Best Short
- Seattle International Film Festival 2024
- New Hampshire Film Festival 2024, Short Jury Award
- Ottawa International Animation Festival 2024
- Sitges Film Festival 2024
- Atlanta Film Festival 2025