Described by the LA Times as turning “a black comedy into a meditation on human interdependence”, this is the great short film “Balance” created by German twin brothers Wolfgang and Christoph Lauenstein:
Winning the 1989 Acadamy Award for Best Animated Short, the film shows five overcoated individuals living on a small platform floating in space. Whenever one of them moves, the others must do so as well to ensure that the platform does not tip over. The group works cooperatively to maintain a “balance” until one individual pulls a box onto the platform. Since all are curious as to what the box is, the individuals try to inspect the box and their actions disrupt the balance of the platform, and those on it.
I won’t spoil the ending, but suffice to say, it doesn’t turn out well for any of them.
So far, so… kind of un-SuperForesty, right? Ah, but that’s only if we look at it as a message of isolation, separation and failure rather than as a signpost to the opposite of those things! Having been introduced to it by SuperForester Sandor some months ago, it’s stuck with me. I really feel for our overcoated friends. When I think about it – all those poor guys needed to do would’ve been to all come into the centre, with the box of pretty music (but dubious intentions) and a campfire hootenany could’ve been had by all. Yep, working together for the common good, that’s what I like.
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