Posted on: March 7, 2012 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

 

There are a number of different animation traditions to be had I the world, and I believe that those living in the United States have largely been limited to a select few of these (domestic animation and Japanese anime, for example). New Yorker Films has picked a number of the strongest representations of these different animation styles, and has placed them in an easy to view format. While there is a decidedly continental European bent to this compilation, the presence of films from Croatia (She Who Measures), Norway (Deconstruction Workers), and South Africa (The Tale of How) varies the selection here.

The fact that each of these efforts have been dubbed allow individuals to hear the aural and visual interactions in the original language; the poetry spoken in Farsi or Chinese can speak even to those that have no clue what is said normally.

I would personally like to see the Nine Nation Animation be a yearly or otherwise regular thing; there are just so many countries that have not been given the proper attention to this point. New Yorker Films has added a 10th film – Germany’s The Runt – to add further variation and length to this release. Jonathan Howell, who was tasked with picking out the best films from a variety of different film festivals, has hit it out of the park here. These films only share their status as animated films with a high level of quality. Whether it be snappy writing, inimitable art styles, or a wholly unique experience, each of the films here will provide viewers with a wholly unique experience. Check out what New Yorker Films will be releasing throughout the rest of 2012 – they are hitting on all cylinders here.

Rating: 8.7/10

 

Nine Nation Animation (DVD) / 2011 New Yorker Films / 82 Minutes / http://www.newyorkerfilms.com

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