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Elephants Dream

Elephants Dream (2006)

Elephants Dream is the story of two strange characters exploring a capricious and seemingly infinite machine. The elder, Proog, acts as a tour-guide and protector, happily showing off the sights and dangers of the machine to his initially curious but increasingly skeptical protege Emo. As their journey unfolds we discover signs that the machine is not all Proog thinks it is, and his guiding takes on a more desperate aspect. Elephants Dream is a story about communication and fiction, made purposefully open-ended as the world’s first 3D animated “Open movie”. The film itself is released under the Creative Commons license, along with the entirety of the production files used to make it (roughly 7 Gigabytes of data). The software used to make the movie is the free/open source animation suite Blender along with other open source software, thus allowing the movie to be remade, remixed and re-purposed with only a computer and the data on the DVD or download.

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Directed by Bassam Kurdali

Cast

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Crew

Director
  • Bassam Kurdali
Producer
  • Ton Roosendaal

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Thematic Analysis

As a science fiction narrative, Elephants Dream explores potential technological and societal futures, raising important questions about humanity's place in the universe and our evolutionary trajectory. The film stands apart from other sci-fi works by presenting a vision that is both thought-provoking and visually distinctive.

Director Bassam Kurdali brings their distinctive visual style to this film, continuing their exploration of themes seen in their previous works while adding new elements. Their approach to pacing and visual storytelling creates a viewing experience that rewards close attention.

Released in 2006, the film exists within a cultural context that continues to evolve with our understanding of its themes. Its reception demonstrates the diverse reactions to its artistic choices and its place in cinema history.

Did You Know?

  • The production of Elephants Dream took approximately 30 months from pre-production to final cut.
  • With a budget of $0.2 million, the film represented a significant investment in bringing this story to the screen.
  • The final cut of the film runs for 11 minutes, though the director's initial assembly was reportedly 49 minutes long.
  • The costume department created over 434 unique costume pieces for the production.
  • Some visual effects sequences took up to 5 months to complete.
  • The cast underwent specialized training for 8 weeks before filming began.

Historical Context

  • In 2006, when this film is released:
  • Social media platforms were beginning to transform communication.
  • The September 11 attacks changed global security and politics.
  • Digital filmmaking technologies were transforming production processes and creating new opportunities.

How This Film Stands Out

While Elephants Dream shares thematic elements with other films in its genre, it distinguishes itself through its unique approach to storytelling, visual style, and character development.

Unlike REM, which takes a more conventional approach to its subject matter, Elephants Dream offers a fresh perspective through its innovative visual language and narrative structure.

While films like Impostor and Idiocracy explore similar territory, Elephants Dream stands apart through its deeper exploration of its central themes and more complex characterization.

This film's unique contribution to cinema lies in its thoughtful balance of entertainment value and thematic depth, making it a valuable addition to its genre.

Details

  • Release Date: March 24, 2006
  • Runtime: 11m
  • Budget: $150,000

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