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★★★★★
Directed by: #DanielGreaves, #RuthBeni
Written by: #DanielGreaves, #RuthBeni
Animated by: #AndyMcPherson, #DarrenVandenburg, #ThierryTorres, #DeniseDean, #JessicaLeslau
None of us is born racist; none of us is born homophobic; none of us is born misogynistic. So just where do these prejudices and intolerances, seemingly so rife in the world today, come from? Well, like anything, it's learned behaviour. A behaviour we, as children, observe from our elders, or authority figures validate that. And both are points well made in Daniel Greaves and Ruth Beni's superb short animated film, All of Us.
At only seven minutes in length, All of Us is an incisive piece of work: a cautionary tale of one society's intolerances tearing it apart, leaving it fractured and divided. But it seems that the children are the only ones suffering from the adult's lack of tolerance (as is so often the case), and so they formulate a plan to make theirs a better world to live.
Sound familiar? It should. All of Us is a sobering indictment of current affairs. Its underlying themes of prejudice and intolerance draw parallels to issues like Brexit, the BLM protests and the rise of right-wing, insular politics around the world. At the same time, the depictions of young people spearheading the fight for change; to right the wrongs of their elders draws immediate comparisons to the struggles of young people today, whether it be the climate change protests fronted by Swedish student Greta Thunberg, or the tearing down of slave trader statues around the world.
The movie's entirely devoid of dialogue, yet it speaks volumes about the state of our world. Greaves' marvellous, simple-yet-effective animation style – part painting, part crayon drawing – puts us right in the kids' shoes. The animation itself is exquisite, smooth, and, perhaps most importantly, unique. It adds depth of character to a piece already brimming with personality, and, along with Jamie Payne's superb score, it makes for some hugely impactful filmmaking.
All of us is a beautiful piece of work that says more about current affairs with its voiceless animation than even the most eloquently written monologue ever could. We should all watch this movie, and we should all take heed of its message. Find it on YouTube now!
A special shoutout goes to the animation team for their breathtaking work...you rule!
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