Confronting Death

The dynamic, beautiful animation When the Day Breaks addresses the emotional turmoil of a young female anthropomorhpic pig character. She witnesses the death of a total stranger and the experience sends her reeling. In the aftermath she puts the death in quiet perspective through an animated exploration of the city in which she lives, including to the dwelling of the stranger who was killed.

The animation itself addresses a common experience to those who have witnessed deaths: the uneasiness, quietude and matter-of-factness of death. The animation itself pays special attention to objects- giving them a life, will and character all their own, even while they remain, for all intents and purposes, just inanimate objects. Lemons roll heedlessly into sewers, toasters crackle with a hidden energy and potato skins seem nearly acrobatic midair. The focus here illustrates the seeming independence of objects, and their continuation after their user/owner has passed on.



The title's relation to the animation is interesting as well. It implies both a 'breaking' of the day, a violent interruption or intrusion, perhaps the shattering of an illusion- but culturally, the idiom "the break of day" implies the start of the day. In the animation, the day "breaks" in both the literal and idiomatic senses- it begins, and is violently interrupted, then begins again.

~*~Katrina~*~