The Man And The Head

The Man and the Head is an existentialist short film by Nilas Røpke Driessen that questions and plays with storytelling. It was created as a project at renowned Danish school The Animation Workshop, as part of its artist residency program labeled Open Workshop.

Two main characters, non-realistic staging through peculiar use of scale and a focus on storytelling and absurd humor are the main elements of the short.

The film employs sparse, non-realistic staging. The action takes place on a head in the middle of the sea. A stylized hand-drawn aesthetic is used, color helps signal passing time.

The Man and the Head places an accent on dialogue and absurd, existentialist themes, some of which produce internal conflicts. Self-reflexive elements abound regarding presenting stories and ideas about storytelling within a story (a film).

One camera position is employed. Visual rhythm is handled through editing, changes in color palette and motion within the frame.

What makes The Man and the Head work so well? Creative dialogue and staging, and good use of surprise and abundant absurd humor help make this experimental short engaging and reach a wider audience.