Top 4 French short animations!

I have to admit that I love my university. Recently, we celebrated The International Francophopnie Day, and beacause I am a student of Romance studies I took an active part in this event.

Our friends had prepared a lot of interesting activities. We were singing "Je ne veux pas travailler" by Pink Martini with our lecturer during Karaoke show, we could try delicious specialities of French cuisine and take up challenge of big French dictation. In my oppinion, it was quite difficult. However, in spite of all those funs, I paid the most attention to short speech about French animations.

I am big fan of every kind of cinematic production. I love dramas, horrors, full-lenght animations and those shorter ones.

The history of French animation is long so I'm not gonna bore you, but you have to realize that everything started just in 1892. However, the most important date is 1908 when Emile Cohl created Fantasmagorie. It was a very simple cartoon drawn on a paper.

Because of its long and successful developement French short animated films are appreciated all over the world. Many artist was nominated to prestigeous award like Oscars or BAFTA.

We love short films. They show breathtaking and warm stories in very quick and simple way. We don't get bored because of their duration. They are funny and not complicated but they also hide eye-opening moral. We consider short animated films as seriers to children but very often a cartoon is the easiest way for artists to talk about important and sometimes controversial threads. Personally, I think that even animations for kids are worth-seeing. So, sit down in your favorite armchair and take a moment for these treasures!

#4 Logorama

Lasting 16 minutes animation made by Francois Alaux, Herve de Crecy and Ludovic Houplain tells about two policemen in persuit of well-known criminal... Ronald McDonald. Yes, this, Ronald McDonald, cheerful clown, mascot of the McDonald's restaurants. We can also notice Michelin and Pringles bodies, lion from MGM or mountian Evian. The whole reality is made by logos of the common enterprises or companies. Sounds funny but honestly, this short movie kept me in suspense and took my breath away for a little while. Moreover, it awared me how our world is globalised. Everyday, we eat food in reastaurants and we buy things from shops which we are able to see in this short movie. The comapnies fight with themsleves for our attention just like Michelins fight with Ronald. I really enjoyed watching Logorama and I recommend it to everyone, especially that "Logorama" gained an Oscar in 2010.

#3 Mr. Hublot

Four years later another French artists won an Oscar for the best short movie. Laurent Witz and Alexandre Espigare created an animation which is settled in steampunk world. The main character Mr. Hublot have obsessive-compulsive disorder. He loves his small, comfortable flat, he has irrational habits and he is scared of the external life. Everything changes when he rescues a little homeless puppy that makes Hublot's life much more labil. This story warms every heart!

#2 Destino

I have a special affection for this movie because of its surrealistic form. Everything started just in 1945 when two amazing men, Walt Disney and Salvador Dali decided to create a movie together. Unfortunately, the economic issues after the World War II interrupted artists in continuing their work. Only 17 seconds of the material was completed by John Hench and Dali. Disney wasn't intrested in futher collaboration. In 1999 Disney's nephew decided to bring the animation back. Working with Baker Bloodworth, Dominique Monfery and 25 another animators who consisted in Dali's and Hench's storyboards and Gala Dali's journals, in 2003 they were able to finish the production.

The story tells about love between Chronos and mortal woman. The only thing we can hear is the music of Mexican composer Armando Dominguez which bring on the nostalgic atmosphere.

#1 The Old Lady And The Pigeons

This is another surrealistic story made by Sylvain Chomet in 1997 tells about weird relationship between a policeman and an old lady.The policeman is a poor person who doesn't have money for food and he is starving every day. After seeing an old granny wasting the food for pigeons, he decided to become one! Thanks to that, he can eat as much food as he can. Unhappily, there is a catch!

It seems it is a funny story but it's little scary and grotesque, and it shows a sadly truth about human being.

This animation gained a BAFTA award in 1997 for the best short animated film and was nominated to Oscars a year later.