10/24/17: Today’s beautiful thing is a little more quiet and contemplative than my usual fare. This is “Fox and The Whale,” a gorgeous animated short that follows a little fox looking for a mysterious whale. Directed by former Dreamworks animator Robin Joseph, the film seems like an ode to searchers everywhere.

The artwork is so gorgeous, it feels to me like any frame from the film would make a beautiful piece of art. The backgrounds and many of the characters are very lush and painterly, and the complex sound design adds a great deal to the realistic feeling of the film. Interestingly, though, a few characters including the fox himself are more geometric and minimalistic.

To those of you who look at it and thought “12 minutes? No way!” I beg you to reconsider. It will be 12 minutes you won’t want to get back. I promise. Give it a try. Enjoy 12 minutes of peace. How rare is that these days?

“Fox and The Whale” gave me such a lovely sense of peace. It made me feel like I’ve been out in nature instead of sitting in a tiny apartment, working on a laptop. I hope you enjoy this big little film as much as I did. I’m off to watch it again!

Via