2021 Short Film: The Mechanical Dancer

• Directed by Jenna Jaillet
• Written by Jenna Jaillet, Josh Jaillet
• Stars Animated
• Run Time: 13 Minutes
• Watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-HaN1dIs60

What Happens

A mad scientist and his faithful assistant build a dancing robot. It doesn’t work so well, so they look for an alternative. The young assistant, however, isn’t fully on board with the old man’s plot. Will there be a happy ending?

Commentary

These filmmakers must have asked themselves, “What if Tim Burton animated the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari?” Or at least that’s what the character design makes me think.

The film is silent and uses all the Dutch angles and German impressionism of “Caligari” and other films of that age. It’s not strictly black and white; it’s tinted, as were many silent films. The animation is beautifully done, and all the characters show emotion and some nuance.

If you like the old silent classics, you’ll like this!