Singularity

The world of Singularity is one fraught with danger and hardship.

The new animation, which screens as part of the Pardi di Domani: Concorso Internazionale at Locarno this week, is set around 15,000 years ago. Deep in a cave, a sabre tooth tiger gives birth to a litter of three – but while two of them are typical cubs, the other is something different and strange. This third offspring, which the film’s marketing materials confirm is the singularity that provides the short with its title, has to navigate not fitting into the natural order and find its own way in a hostile and bloody world.

The singularity’s individuality is evident in several ways, not least its animation style which differs somewhat from the rest of the visuals. While these are not an attempt at hyper-realistic artwork – the colour palette, textures, hatching and linework all emphasise its hand drawn aesthetic quality – the world is rendered in realistic shapes and proportions. The other sabre tooth tigers convey the shape of large, heavy cats and the world around them, while simplified, is a rendition of th real. The singularity itself is overtly cartoonish and defying of natural laws. It balances on stick legs atop extended toes, and constantly tumbles into a jumble. It is like a comedy children’s cartoon character in the harsh reality of the Pleistocene epoch.

As a result, our little hero – this strange fluke of the universe – feels out of place in almost every way as it goes about trying to belong. Whether that is with its litter mates, or with another pack that they encounter. The film is a journey towards brutal survival in the wild, and there is plenty of death and gore on display, but much like the most affecting natural history programming, Perreten’s film is able to whisk us up in its drama and tell its little singularity’s story with all the tragedy and pathos even the smallest, strangest of creatures deserves.

Director, screenwriter: Marjolaine Perreten
Producer: Nicolas Burlet
Editing: Marie Liotard
Sound: Jerome Vittoz
Music: Julien Painot
Animation: Igor Neiman, Nicolas Moreau, Marjolaine Perreten, Evelyne Peter, Natacha Baud-Grasset, Aurore Muller Feuga, Darma Genuardi, Léonard Felder, Michael Rieder, Ursina Rubin, Rémi Froger
Production companies: Nadasdy Film, RTS Radio Télévision Suisse (Switzerland)
Venue: Locarno Film Festival (Pardi di Domani: Concorso Internazionale)
No dialogue
26 minutes

Read our coverage of more short films in our Verdict Shorts section.