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The Art of Drowning

  • 20092009
  • 2m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
47
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
The Art of Drowning (2009)
  • Animation
  • Short
Ponders the possibilities of what awaits us at the end of our life.Ponders the possibilities of what awaits us at the end of our life.Ponders the possibilities of what awaits us at the end of our life.
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
47
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Diego Maclean
  • Writer
    • Billy Collins(poem)
  • Stars
    • Billy Collins
    • Winston Rekert
Top credits
  • Director
    • Diego Maclean
  • Writer
    • Billy Collins(poem)
  • Stars
    • Billy Collins
    • Winston Rekert
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1User review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations

    Photos

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    Top cast

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    Billy Collins
    Billy Collins
    • Narratoras Narrator
    Winston Rekert
    • Director
      • Diego Maclean
    • Writer
      • Billy Collins(poem)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Director Diego Maclean appears briefly in three moments on the film - in a portrait of a couple, being punched in the face and drinking from a bottle.

    User reviews1

    Review
    Top review
    The "keep it simple yet creative" approach in the animation compliments the poem without getting in its way
    I watched this short film recently just to fill a little time if I'm honest – I wasn't in a particularly reflective mood (indeed I had been playing video games and had grown tired of them) and perhaps was not in the correct frame to suddenly be watching a Candian animation pondering the nature of death, in particular the accepted "flash" we will get of our lives in that final moment. I wasn't really in that sort of mood but yet suddenly I was because this film is as effective as it is short.

    The animation is very "basic" but I do not mean that in a derogatory way, but rather to say that it keeps it simple – black lines on a white background, without too much ever going on at once. This allows us to have Collins' poem supported in a visual way but at the same time it never threatens to do more than "support". This is a wise decision by the director because not only does Collins have an engaging voice and tone, but his musings are considered and engaging and do have a poetic rhythm to them. It is particularly well done with the voice, the words and the images all working well as a whole.

    An engaging and brief short film that knows its strength (Collins and his poem) and focuses on bolstering that, not distracting from it.
    helpful•1
    0
    • bob the moo
    • Feb 21, 2011

    Details

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    • Release date
      • May 1, 2009 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • Canada
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Искусство быть утопающим
    • Filming locations
      • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • CA$1,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      2 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1 / (high definition)

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