The Solution

(Die Lösung)

GDR, 1987, 3 min, color
No dialogue
Credits:
Director
Script
Dramaturg
Editor
Camera
Narrator
Production Company
Themes & Genres:

Synopsis

A flock of birds is sitting on a telephone wire in an orderly row, all looking in the same direction. But one little bird cannot be convinced to conform to this arrangement. The rest of the flock must reckon with this individualist.

 

This short film is available for purchase or streaming as part of the collection Animation Before Unification: 16 Shorts from East Germany.

Commentary

With its distinctive hand-drawn style and the birds’ wordless squabbles, The Solution is a buoyant delight. At the same time, its plot is a parable rich with images of authority and dissent, metaphorically dealing with a struggle for individualism under conformism. Memorable and clever, the short was recognized at the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Films in 1988 and the Berlin International Film Festival in 1989.

Awards

1989 Berlin International Film Festival
1988 Special Award of the International Jury, International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Films

 

Availability

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