Edmond, der Esel

Its realism is the basic virtue. Because it is a short animation about little people , the social pressure,the mockeries , the less sense of life for them, the dfferent forms of social isolation - from autism to schizoidia. The story of Edmond is, first, admirable craft. Second - it is the story of its public because each of us dreams to an idealistic refuge, could be victim of a "revelation", could make the great tournament of his life. That gives to this short film the status of masterpiece in my opinion.

Edmond is a small, gray man who works in an office block and is generally looked down upon by others – if they notice him at all. One day a moment of mockery changes his life forever when a pair of paper donkey ears are slipped onto his head. Seeing himself in a mirror with them on, Edmond is filled with a new awareness of what or who he is, and gradually his character and his life begins to change.

Taken literally, this film doesn't make a great deal of sense – but taken as an emotive piece, it is quite the work of beauty and something that is thoughtfully touching. The story concerns a man who seems to lack any sense of himself; his being a target for others doesn't seem to be so much about him having a weak character or presence, as it does about him having no character or presence to speak of at all. The eats change this and he suddenly has an identity for himself in a moment which is quite touching if you are able to go with it. Where the plot goes from there is either silly or moving depending whether it is working for you or not. For me I found it really sweet and thoughtful to see Edmond find himself in a way that, even with a few minutes in the film, understand that he has not up till this point. It is a nice piece about one's own identity and how, ultimately, having peace in oneself is the important thing.

The animation matches this reflective and quite beautiful tone; it is gray throughout and steeping in the mundane but this allows the very small moments of contentment and peace to be clearer while also still being quite small. Although I found the appearance of the characters to be a bit offputting, I did still like the overall construct of the short and the world. It may not be a narrative to follow and it may not deliver a full conclusion in a traditional sense, but this is a thoughtful piece about perception and identity, and I found it engaging, charming and a little moving.

I liked it, but I don't know why. Edmond is one of the anonymous horde that goes to work every day, doing the "right" thing, even though all he gets is grief. When the paper donkey ears are place on his head, he starts to get an identity of his own. Even though he is thought crazy, he perseveres. While for some this doesn't make logical sense, it is still one of a kind.