Afterlife is a remarkable short film in any possible way. It was produced in 1978, but it feels modern, daring and fresh. It is wonderfully animated and has a great psychedelic soundtrack, this being the most noticeable element that associates it to the 1970s.
The approach to the story is very New-Age, if you want. We witness the departure of an astral being or soul from the realm of the living and the journey that takes him to the next realm. The imagery is mesmerizing, hypnotic and intriguing. We witness this soul's past experiences, personal attachments and love moments, which are presented in a very touching way. This soulful trip is depicted in an ever-changing series of golden-and-black images that morph into others organically. One of the most intriguing aspects of the film is all the presence of mythical and mythological elements associated to Eastern cultures that intersect with the human experiences that the soul is retrieving, processing an discarding. There is a constant flow of images, but this is a journey of getting rid of the old to evolve and go through the next level, and it is masterfully presented.
My main criticism is that the film might have been as good with 1-2 minutes less of footage.
Afterlife has put Ishu Patel in my radar.
The approach to the story is very New-Age, if you want. We witness the departure of an astral being or soul from the realm of the living and the journey that takes him to the next realm. The imagery is mesmerizing, hypnotic and intriguing. We witness this soul's past experiences, personal attachments and love moments, which are presented in a very touching way. This soulful trip is depicted in an ever-changing series of golden-and-black images that morph into others organically. One of the most intriguing aspects of the film is all the presence of mythical and mythological elements associated to Eastern cultures that intersect with the human experiences that the soul is retrieving, processing an discarding. There is a constant flow of images, but this is a journey of getting rid of the old to evolve and go through the next level, and it is masterfully presented.
My main criticism is that the film might have been as good with 1-2 minutes less of footage.
Afterlife has put Ishu Patel in my radar.