SSF: “L3.0”

Today’s short is a beautifully-rendered French bit about a robot struggling to hang on after the “End of Civilization as We Know It.” (Keep an eye out for the glass effects, in particular, because they’re gorgeous. Beautifully done.)

In addition to being a) French, and b) beautifully made, the whole thing’s actually a bit creepy. It’s October, though, so “creepy’s” OK, right?

Leo, a Hi-Tech ‘pet’ robot, wanders alone in Paris following the mysterious disappearance of nearly all living species. He spends his days trying to entertain himself but to no avail. Then one day he meets a new living being…

Very WALL·E-esque. Especially the eyebrows. (Also, why are robots with huge heads so cute?)

The reveal’s a bit more Poe than Pixar, perhaps. Though to be honest, once I get over my initial shock/horror, I’m not entirely sure it’s creepy. There’s some ambiguity built into the ending, so I could actually go a couple of different ways. Saying it’s “what WALL-E would have looked like if it was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet” really works for me, though. That, I can absolutely see. (Of course, I’m never sure if his stuff’s creepy or cute or both. So that’s consistent.)

Attribution(s): All artwork, publicity images, and stills are the property of ISART DIGITAL and all respective creators and/or distributors.