Head of a Camel

Shannon Lee’s Head of a Camel is an experimental, circuitous animated film about a Korean-American woman who tries to reconnect with her cultural roots by conjuring a mystical creature from an ancient Daoist recipe.

Head of a Camel is closer to a visual poem than a conventional film: it has no on-screen actors, little narrative, and a minimal score. The sounds mainly consist of a narrated recipe describing the anatomy of an Asian dragon.

The film’s greatest strength is its visual style. It opens with poem-like text, each line appearing on screen as though thoughts are being set down on a page. These words describe the physical distance between the narrator’s mother and sister, as well as the difficulty the narrator and her father have communicating. 

To reconcile her Western identity with her cultural heritage, the narrator turns to an ancient recipe. As she recites it, images of its animal ingredients flash rapidly across the screen, which include a frog’s belly, a hawk’s claws, a carp’s scales, and, of course, a camel’s head. I particularly liked how the parts appear to be cut from the animals in a papier-mâché-like style. 

The rapid sequence of photographs also recalled the opening of Gaspar Noé’s Enter the Void, though Lee’s imagery is more ethereal and dreamlike. She created the effect by placing photographs directly beneath the camera. When the recipe reaches the camel’s head, the narration slows, deepening the dreamlike mood. 

Despite the strange imagery and measured delivery, the sequence is engaging and almost hypnotic, as if something is truly being conjured. Sounds resembling stones grinding together further enrich the atmosphere.

This short film will not appeal to everyone, and some viewers may struggle to follow its narrative. Its abstract ideas and four-minute runtime leave its theme, reconnecting with one’s culture from halfway across the world, feeling underdeveloped. Those who prefer conventional storytelling may also find its unconventional approach off-putting.

Overall, Head of a Camel is an abstract, cryptic film whose striking visuals and Foley effects create a dreamy, hypnotic experience. Its lack of a cohesive plot and dialogue may leave some viewers confused, but it remains an engaging four-minute watch.