La Maison en Petits Cubes
2008 · Directed by Kunio Kato
Original language: Japanese
- animation
- drama
The story
La Maison en Petits Cubes tells the story of a grandfather's memories as he adds more blocks to his house to stem the flooding waters.
What it’s like
Hand-painted watercolour and soft pencil textures give this short animation the look of a sketchbook come to life, with the rising water rendered in cool, translucent blues against warm, faded interiors. The camera stays close and patient on a single old man's home as each new storey is stacked above the flood, and the pace is unhurried, almost meditative, with long held shots of rippling surfaces and quiet domestic objects. The score is sparse and gentle, mostly piano and water sounds, leaving room for near silence. Its emotional register is wistful and tender, a cozy melancholy about memory, loss and the slow act of holding on to a life. Violence and gore are absent, and the drama stays understated, with only a faint undercurrent of fear as the water climbs. It suits a rainy afternoon, a quiet solo evening, or anyone who wants a short, contemplative film that feels like turning the pages of an old diary, for viewers who value gentle, poignant animation about ageing and remembrance.
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