dir. Shane Acker, USA, 2009, 79'
Lasting but a few minutes, the successful short film 9 (Oscar nomination) inspired Shane Acker to make a feature-length animated film and to revive the dystopia genre. He was assisted in his ambitious plan by Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch) and the renowned Tim Burton (Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd).
The protagonist of 9 is a rag doll with a number on his back who wakes up in a room full of old junk. Unaware of the meaning of this initiation, he searches for his origins. Waking up in a devastated, uprooted world compels him to look for the answer to the question; why are all the people gone? On his journey, he soon meets other dolls and learns that they are not the only ones to inhabit the ruins of this world... The gloomy atmosphere of the "end of the world" leads to the contemplation on the presence of Somebody, or sense, or the mover.
It is not surprising today that, despite employing the principle of 3D animation, the film is also meant for adults – they can best appreciate the tangled web of hints and connections to historical and other events. So, 9: "Our world is at its end, but life must go on..."
Jan Černík
