The Art of Drowning (2009)

Ponders the possibilities of what awaits us at the end of our life.

Director:

Diego Maclean

Writer:

Billy Collins (poem)

Stars:

Billy Collins, Winston Rekert

3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Billy Collins	...	Narrator
Winston Rekert

Storyline

Ponders the possibilities of what awaits us at the end of our life.

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Genres:

Animation | Short

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 May 2009 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Искусство быть утопающим

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 1,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo (Stereo)

Color:

Color (HDCAM)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1 / (high definition)

Did You Know?

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 Reviews

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.