Download a Quicktime movie of T.R.A.N.S.I.T. directed by Piet Kroon. 976K. © 1997 Illuminated Film Company/Picture Start.

You know how that Hollywood self-referential game goes? The one where you describe something by comparing it to something else, like, "It's Star Trek crossed with My Best Friend's Wedding," or "It's Sailor Moon meets The Spice Girls?" (Say, that's not bad ... better call my agent.) Well, I can do the same thing to describe T.R.A.N.S.I.T. Ready? Here goes: T.R.A.N.S.I.T. is a 1920s Æon Flux crossed with an episode of Seinfeld and mixed with Anijam.

Wait! Don't leave! Let me explain.

Understanding the Comparison
T.R.A.N.S.I.T., you see, is the story of a woman, Emmy, tragically intertwined with two men, Oscar and Felix, in the late 1920s. The story takes place in seven locations (Venice, the Orient Express, Amsterdam, Cairo, Baden Baden, St. Tropez, and on board an ocean liner to the Americas), which are signaled by stickers on a suitcase which follows the characters throughout this trans-oceanic tale. Each location has its own self-contained story and definitive art style, animated by a different artist, much like Anijam and other collaborative films. Each segment is bracketed by close-ups of the stickers on the suitcase.

Much like the first six Æon Flux shorts, the 12-minute film is completely without dialogue. The story is told entirely with visuals and audio, such that you have a good idea as to what's going on but a second viewing will probably make things clearer, as you pick up on the more subtle clues you missed the first time.

Finally, like a recent episode of Seinfeld, the entire story is told backwards. Sort of. The segments are shown in reversed chronological order before jumping back to the beginning/ending, leaving us to watch the effects before learning the causes.

T.R.A.N.S.I.T. by Piet Kroon. All images herein are courtesy of Piet Kroon and © 1997 Illuminated Film Company/Picture Start.