Hand-drawn animation is not exactly the rule nowadays, particularly outside of Japan. Nevertheless, Huang Liang-hsin decided to shoot his 5+ minute short in this way, in a rather miminalist approach that is still quite artful.
“Long Land” is screening at Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival
The story takes mostly place in a small island connected by a long and narrow lane to the main land, where a lightkeeper is living alone, tending the lighthouse. His life is repetitive, but this does not seem to bother him, until at least the festival comes. Gradually, a sense of longing starts to create in his heart, with his solitude finally getting the best of him. As he looks at the birds flying and the kites on the sky, his urge to become one of them and fly away becomes rather palpable. Unfortunately, he cannot leave his post.
When some people on boat crashland on his lighthouse during a stormy night, the keeper finally finds some company, even managing to have a drink with them after he saves them. Soon, however, they also leave, and his sense of longing has just another memory added, intensifying it even more.
Huang Liang-hsin directs a short where nostalgia, longing, and intense sadness seem to derive from every frame, despie the utter lack of dialogue here. The drawing is simple and minimalist, as much as the animation, but the combination with music intensifies the aforementioned sentiments, with Huang implementing it in ideal fashion. The use of color also follows the same rules, while the fact that all objects and locations, apart from the lighthouse, are drawn as if they are far away adds even more to the overall aesthetics. The mixture of all these elements also emits a certain “frenchness” which works quite well for the film's aesthetics.
“Long Land” is a simple but beautiful film that will not disappoint any viewer willing to spend a few minutes watching it.
