WATCH THE FILMS–Part 1 HERE, Part 2 HERE, & Part 3 HERE
First, the Recap:
The dogged quest for illumination, insight, and awareness. As each new day arises, it can be said for many that the lingering queries about who we are, the state of existence we experience, and all the associated elements that manifest because of said examinations can be an almost obsessive search, hounding our minds with a tenacity that can only be quenched through discovering truth. Whether it is the chasm and contrasts between light and dark, hate and love, or other opposing forces that can suddenly come together to form something anew and positive, the ever-nagging scrutiny placed on the likewise ever-nagging yet fully relevant concern that is simply stated– “Why?”, or the notion of just how strange yet wondrous the circle of life can be when seen through a wholly different, even jovial, perspective, everything gets enfolded into this fascinating oddity called reality. Join the journey, open your mind, and be enlightened.
Next, my Mind:
In goes without saying that as human beings, we are truly the overall most inquisitive bunch of living organisms on the face of the this awesome planet we call home. While we find any myriad of means to sustain a measure of contentment with this quirky actuality we term “life”, it is undeniable that we’re always in some state of need to just know MORE, to realize deeper validity in all we place our trust in faith in, while also desiring revelation about that which is unknown. These are but some of the facets being delivered through these first three parts of a new animation-based short film anthology from Moti Media, its founder/writer/director Pak H. Chau, co-founder Ray Yang, composers Elliot Leung and Kelvin Yuen, and animation studios Fat Hamster Studio and Chimils Studio among a well-rounded supporting team geared towards telling stories that both entertain but also bring about understanding through more existential explorations.
From the start, this is more than evident via “What’s There?”, which without any hesitation launches the viewer into the realms of the universe’s initially opposing forces in order to showcase just what an embattled affair it becomes when opposites don’t attract anything but conflict, the world filled with tension, hostility, misunderstanding, hatred, and violence. However, the tale then takes on an utterly different tone and mood upon making it clear that being at odds is not the answer, but rather surrendering to a more constructive path that garners unity, harmony, true cognizance, elation, and freedom, all expressed in a manner that promotes peaceful intent and purpose on our parts in a world that is constantly being reborn from the ashes of the previously mentioned negative attitudes and actions. With the current (sadly, as I often say) atmosphere our contemporary culture and society is residing in politically, socially, and otherwise, this film alone for me speaks VOLUMES of what we need to acknowledge and put into practice.
In the second part of this initial set of films, “Pursuit of Heavens”, we get a very intelligently and uniquely presented portrait that emphasizes a primary aspect of highly common, foundational religious belief and places it in the context of the aforementioned consideration above that plagues so much of our perceptions of all around us–“Why?”. Witnessed through the eyes and subsequent imagination of a young boy named Tommy who poses said enquiry to his school teacher when the subject of Heaven is brought up, it turns into quite the surrealistic adventure that transcends his present awareness and propels him into an eccentric, perhaps only mildly fulfilling by the film’s finale, course that sees him experience alternate dimensions of existing, all to try and figure out what it is to attain Heaven and what it will supposedly be like, wrapped in a shell of the vastness of infinity and the all-encompassing odyssey to see satisfactory resolution to the question. Whether this helps Tommy to DO this is the magic of this film’s ultimate endpoint.
For the third part of this series, “Cycle”, we most definitively get treated to an amazingly humorous yet smartly evocative and totally unconventional excursion into the cyclical nature of being–birth, life, death, rebirth–via the most unlikely of sources for such study–the vantage point of water! Utilizing a beautifully creative approach to just how vibrant, engaging, frightening, but fundamentally rewarding and splendid just BEING can be, this short film deftly employs clever yet blatantly uncomplicated, playfully off-color humor to expand on precisely what the water we’re following is going through moment by moment while in the hands of a mother and daughter who need it for multiple uses in their home. But what drives home the final point of the film’s intent, shown in the ending sequence, really places the concept of being refreshed and aware of, again, BEING in a whole new light, eliciting what I felt was a wonderfully new outlook to define the sheer joy of what it is to be alive.
For all three efforts here, the artistry and creative flow found in the individual visual styles the animation delivered provides is such a key factor to one’s enjoyment of each film, as the stark, striking, impactful black and white of “What’s There” in particular so appropriately echoes the thematic twists and turns the story purposefully captivates us with. The 3D-based imagery combined with more standard 2D artwork found in “Pursuit of Heavens” I felt just lends itself more readily to its tale of questioning, as it offers an equal amount of visual diversity to pair up with the philosophical variations portrayed, even as it illustrates what is modern all the way down to the most basic of animated techniques as events unfold. Finally, the very intentionally elementary designs of “Cycle” allow for the viewer to absolutely relish the animation but more so focus on the keenly hilarious observations and plights of the narrative’s liquid lead character. In all of the films, the apropos music arrangements elicit the kind of necessary mood for each, upping the accompanying emotional quotient with acute clarity and resonance.
So, in total, “Koan: Parts 1-3” thoroughly and with utmost proficiency, eloquence, and compellingly original execution represents the fantastical in form, practical in motive, and expressive in thought-provoking resolve determination the indie film community has, always aiming to be consistent in deploying distinctive works of art that continue to be an ever-growing beacon of light in the filmmaking community as a whole while sounding the bell that signals its a genre here to stay–formidable, unafraid, and growing in well-deserved recognition. This critic is certainly looking forward to the next installments of Moti Media’s anthology, and fully expecting it will match the quality already seen, bestowing another dose of its fresh, profound, effective look at the way we take in the kaleidoscopic wonder that is living.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
Amazing insights into this series Koan! Very excited to see what comes next.