Short Pick Of The Day: ‘Blind Mice’ by Nicholas D’Agostino

“An ex-con gets wrapped up in a con within a con.”

Film by Nicholas D’Agostino, USA, 2018.

Screened at Annecy, GLAS, Zagreb, Palm Springs Shortsfest. Winner of best short animation at Raindance.

Director’s statement:

Walter’s journey from bondage to freedom and back again is an allegory for the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War which ended with the compromise of 1877. Set in an American city at the turn of the century, the piece explores ideas about religion, identity, and economics that are still being heatedly debated today. The characters in Blind Mice are a mix of human and anthropomorphic animal forms in the style of early 20th century animation. Using this aesthetic in a dramatic narrative allows for an exploration of the racial stereotypes which lie beneath the bright and bouncing forms of early animation. The look, feel, and structure of Blind Mice is that of film noir, a genre that in many ways is America’s version of the Greek tragedy. At its core, noir is about the struggle for freedom in the face of a doomed fate, which fits Walter’s story like a three-piece suit.