R E V I E W 55WHO HASN'T EVERWANTED TO BE A DOG?R E V I E W B Y M A R C E L O C É S A RREVIEW
B I M I F FR E V I E WBEING A DOG A FILM BY FELIX SWAHNR E V I E W B Y M A R C E L O C E S A R56"Gravidam" film sceneWHO HASN'T EVER WANTED TO BE A DOG?Every animation already has my fondness. It is an art that deservesall our respect and affection due to the enormous work that itdemands from its creator. At the same time, it is a language thatflows and that everything is allowed, everything is possible andthis fact favors the animator to create stories that in "live-action"would be much more difficult (not impossible) to accomplish andeven to accept.In this 2D digital short film by animator, director, writer, andproducer Felix Swahn, this premise that anything is possible isused with sensitivity and mastery.In "Being a Dog" he tells us the story of Tim who craves love. He is alonely individual and in difference, from other human beings, hetransforms himself into a French bulldog. His encounter with hisfriend Ginger makes him feel human and in love, only he is notreciprocated by his friend. She makes him understand that theyare just friends. After this meeting, Tim becomes a dog again, andin this back and forth between dog and human, Tim manages to behappy.Swahn's fable is very interesting; it goes against many of ourfeelings and questions. How many times have we wished we were adog because we simply cannot understand and process thefeelings that go through our human soul? How many times havewe seen dogs being well taken care of and, in this context, wishingfor us, all the care and love directed to that animal? How manypeople are unable to love a child, but are the kindest people in theworld with their pets? How many canine actions are superior tothe actions of humans? There are many questions. Who has never?The animation has a noir aesthetic, a bit dark, that reminds us ofFrank Miller's comics, Tim Burton's animations, and the greatmaster Mr. Miyasaki. The references are important because thetheme is adult and deep. These are feelings that work onbelonging, loneliness, the search for unrequited love, and even theanger and rage when one is attacked... sometimes human,sometimes animal.The dubbing, sound, and music work of the animation is outstanding andperfect."Being a Dog" has been through more than 50 international festivals andreceived recognition of more than 9 awards in its journey.Another animation by Felix is "The Odd Funeral" from 2016 when he wasgraduating from animation school at Animations Akademien. Since thenhe was already working with themes sensitive to the human soul. Theshort film deals with the fulfillment of a deathbed wish of grandmotherGrete-Pinde, who asks her family to be buried in the Tatra Mountains, anatural border between Slovakia and Poland. The fulfillment of this wishbecomes a journey of searching and finding one's own family. Here thecharacters also change from human figures to shadows and vice versa.Perhaps there already exists the origin of the man/dog.About the director: Felix Swahn is a 29-year-old Swedish filmmaker.From 2014 to 2016 he studied experimental film and animation atAnimations Akademien, soon after (for the next 2 years) he studiedcomics at Skarpnäck Folkhögskola. He has worked in magazines such as8-Sidor, Intra, Ögonblick, and Special Pedagogik, as well as illustratingseveral poetry books, novels, and children's books.In the years 2018 to 2020, he worked as an animator for two Architecturefirms making animated films for project presentations. Furthering hisstudies, he specialized in advanced 2D animation at CG-Spectrum. Swahnwas diagnosed with autism, as he started speaking only at the age of five,but was drawing since the age of two. He is a young talent that has a lot tooffer us yet.Marcelo CesarThe director Felix Swahn
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