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Pictures from the Brainbox: A Weekly Dose of Indie Animation - 'Western Spaghetti'

Every Tuesday, Chris Robinson digests and dissects (relatively) new indie animation short films. Today: Western Spaghetti.

'Western Spaghetti' by PES

Western Spaghetti (2008) shows that, despite a reliance on the visual, PES is also armed with some solid concepts. This time he takes on the task of making a spaghetti dinner – with, of course, objects replacing the food. Unlike his previous films, Western Spaghetti lacks that wallop of an ending. There’s no surprise here because we know where the film is heading (a spaghetti dinner). Instead, the film’s humour and pleasure come from the unexpected – yet, somehow fitting, choices PES makes for the objects. Pick-up sticks replace the spaghetti, bubble wrap becomes boiling water, foil paper turns into oil, and, most unusually, post-it notes become the butter.

Now, there’s Western in the title, but no signs of Italian cowboys or Sergio Leone references. So, what is the “Western” all about? “The "Western" in the title ,” says PES, “refers to the endless supply of worthless, modern junk that populates so much of our world.  Google Eyes, Rubber Bands, Tin Foil, Bubble Wrap, Keychain Rubik's cubes, etc. it's all stuff most people are trying to throw away.  There is beauty to be found in these objects.”

Chris Robinson's picture

A well-known figure in the world of independent animation, writer, author & curator Chris Robinson is the Artistic Director of the Ottawa International Animation Festival.