I love good animations of running. I don’t mean run cycles, I mean animations that capture energy of movement. Madhouse’s World Record (available on google video) has some great moments of speed and exertion, and Kid’s Story by the Wachowski brothers and Shinichiro Watanabe (also from The Animatrix) has a palpable feeling of frenzied speed. Tekkonkinkreet, one of my all-time favorite films, also contains chase sequences with stunning movement and energy.

It is in this context that I say I love Flutter, an NFB film by animator Howie Shia. It’s fun, it’s quiet, and it reminds me of the best parts of the movement of Kid’s Story and Tekkonkinkreet. I noted that this film was available for streaming months ago, but the video didn’t load and I forgot about it until going through bookmarks. A boy breaks away from his life and travels beyond the city, as a girl he left behind finds a similar escape through art. Definitely a “flying leap away from the normal,” as Flutter’s page on the Film Board site describes it. I really like the styling and pace of this piece, it’s gorgeous.

Thanks to the National Film Board of Canada for the free streaming of this fantastic short!