Revisiting films is always a pleasure, and even more so in different parts of the festival circuit. Kim Lee-ha's “Mascot” (2019) was no exception. Winner of the 15th Indie-Anifest Prize for Independent Walk, the computer-animated short had received warm usherings within the Seoul's CGV Cine-Library. After some more festival appearances thereafter – including a special mention at Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival – “Mascot” has made its rounds in the Stuttgart Festival for Animated Film (ITFS). Though its reappearance was strictly non-competitive, its presence in the largely European-North American Panorama selection made for a welcome return.
The six-minute short witnesses a fox protagonist in his grueling day-to-day grind at a mascot training academy. In his 24/7 study plan, the fox takes on odd jobs, studies until the wee hours of the morning, and even undergoes plastic surgery to appear more visually appealing. The goal? To be receive the much-envied Mascot certification, just so that he may be one step closer to his dream to becoming a star.
“Mascot” unveils the disturbing underbelly of Korea's public personae. This parallel to Korea's notoriously difficult exam-culture (more specifically, idol culture?) captures the desperation, and ultimately desolation, of the zombified youth. With grainy, film-like textures and hazy, blocks of color, “Mascot” captures a uniquely film-noir aesthetic for its computer-animated origins. Little luminescence breaks through the visual noise, as individual forms start to blend together in this world of unending anonymity. Our listless protagonist almost seems to be caught in a fog, or even in the proverbial tunnel — where the light is nowhere to be seen. In this atmospheric nightmare, it's clear to see why the polished clarity (as if recalling picture-perfect Pixar films?) of the professional Mascots are clearly envied.
Wallowing in the dark denial of what-would-otherwise-be a syrupy subject flips the expectations of animation on its head, as well. Its bleak outlook, added to its visual sophistication, suggests an audience well beyond children's reach. In a visual culture where animation is often popularly reserved for children and just as often seen as a lesser sister to live-action film, “Mascot” brings with it a wave of documentary-like gravity. As if picking apart the labor-intensive process of animation itself, the film is a reminder that even the whimsicality of animation cannot exist without soiling one's hands.
A stand-out short notable for its unwavering grapple (albeit depressing) with contemporary diehard exam culture, “Mascot” represents poignant disillusionment in the “Korean dream.” This startling self-reflection of the frustrations of seemingly impossible-to-breakthrough industries should be relevant to teens and twenty-somes worldwide.
“Mascot” is produced by Studio Leeha. Its international distribution of “Mascot” is managed by KIAFA (Ani SEED).
