The Saga Of Biorn

From the land of the vikings comes The Saga Of Biorn, a short film produced by nine students at The Animation Workshop, a school located in Denmark. The film uses traditional elements from Danish culture and presents the story of a character with a peculiar conflict. Biorn is determined to die in battle and reach Valhalla, so he tries to enter into conflict with other characters but repeatedly fails to do so. Luck (or fate) and other characters prevent him from reaching his goal. What makes this script special is that this opposition to his will is not active or conscious, but done through incompetence, self-sabotage or goodwill.

Staged in rural areas more than a 1000 years in the past and in supernatural locations, the action is driven by religious and otherworldly themes, but approached from a comedic style, with humor at times bordering the absurd.

The Saga Of Biorn features wonderful aesthetic work. A lot of effort has been dedicated to the stylized character designs as well as to the creation of the various environments, combining 3D with 2D elements. Continuity editing is most notably altered in two parts of the film: by using a jump back in time at the beginning (triggered by the voice over), and also by using parallel editing at the end of the film to alternate between the mundane and otherworldly sequences.

What makes The Saga Of Biorn a classic among animated shorts? Original and unconventional conflicts, irreverent script, engaging narrative, plenty of humor and creativity, excellent aesthetic work and abundant surprises that result in an irrevocable ending.