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★★★★
Directed by: Mohammad Malak Starring: Tamas Kiss, Dzsennifer Vattai Animated Film Review by: Rachel Pullen
Being in love is pretty cool, let's face facts we all get a high off it, caught up in the power and thrill that one other person can give you, and what you can also give them, but it’s important that you don’t take that for granted. We always realise that when we are apart, they say that distance makes the heart grow fonder, or something like that (I’m not really into greeting card quotes) but this is the premise behind Mohammad Malak’s animated short film Tavolsag.
Tavolsag, which means distance in Hungarian [but of course we all knew that…didn’t we?] explores the feelings and memories we experience when separated from our lovers, and how this distance serves a purpose, often strengthening our feelings and desires for the other person…or frees up your time to have affairs and play Jenga if you’re anything like me.
At first glance you may think that this piece is just an animated work using the art of interpretive dance to convey these emotions, but you would be wrong. Based on Ryan Woodward’s story ‘’The thought of you’’ Mohammad goes all mathematical on us, adding another interesting dimension to his work.
After creating over two thousand hours of animation, each frame plays between several minutes to half an hour, representing the true length of time our lovers are apart, and after many calculations is compressed into a 5-minute piece of work…mind-boggling I know.
With that in mind you start to see this short in a whole new light. I watched Tavolsag several times after learning this information, getting a deeper understanding of the dancers’ movements and actions when they are alone on the stage compared to when they were reunited.
This short is beautiful to watch, music and lighting compliments every movement, the animation is simple yet effective, for we are not focusing on the details of the dancers themselves, but rather their movements around the stage and each other.
Tavolsag not only conveys perfectly the power of love, but also shows the dedication and skill of all the team who worked on the project, which took 5 years to complete, which if you think about it is a year per minute…I can’t even focus on one thing for a minute so hats off to them!
A must watch for any fans of animation, dance or people who like mathematical calculations, because we all know dance and math go hand in hand, but if you’re looking for a storyline that you can get your teeth into without having to do some research into the film’s background then maybe give this one a skip.
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