Kvagga

14 min 3D animation short.

LOGLINE: The unlikely encounter and tragedy of two contrasting worlds.

There is a place divided by light and shadow. The two opposing worlds are represented by two characters who, despite their differences, become interested in each other. This rapport is, however, soon destroyed by reality that doesn’t allow bonds between the two worlds.
Through the story of these two characters, the film intends to emphasize the importance of tolerance and the acceptance of others. In the film’s narrative, Nil, a boarder guard of the bright side has to face a tragedy while he is on patrol: his partner is murdered by a group of vandals from the dark side. Nil is unable to help: he is petrified by fear of the enemy’s power. A rescue party from the bright side comes to save him before he’d fall prey to another attack. During the battle, he catches a glimpse of a girl who accidentally drops something in the midst of all the commotion. Nil finds this object, and his curiosity propels him to take it home, which leads to a series of events. Fa and Nil’s subsequent encounter is also the symbolic meeting of two worlds, which has unforeseen consequences.
Through the encounter of “good” and “bad”, the film outlines a classic scenario, which later reveals that instead of different values, it is more about different perspectives. The story offers no universal truths, it doesn’t tell us who to side with, and it doesn’t even claim that love would resolve conflict. It implies instead that truth is somewhere between the two worlds, in their synthesis and in their subtleties. Both the viewer and the characters have to find these within themselves. The film’s title also symbolizes this idea: kvagga, a type of zebra that has been extinct for 130 years, had black-and-white stripes that gradually dissolved into a more homogenous color on its back.
The film was inspired by William Golding’s novel The Inheritors and Alex Webb’s photography, both of which enriched the characters and the two imaginary worlds.