La Maison en Petits Cubes
{{Infobox film
| name = La Maison en Petits Cubes
| image = La Maison en Petits Cubes DVD cover.jpg
| caption =
| director = Kunio Katō
| producer = Masanori Kusakabe
Yuko Hata
| writer = Kenya Hirata
| starring =
| music = Kenji Kondo
| cinematography =
| editing =
| studio = Oh! Production
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|2008||}}
| runtime = 12 minutes
| country = Japan
| language =
| budget =
| gross =
}}
{{Nihongo|La Maison en Petits Cubes|つみきのいえ|Tsumiki no Ie|"The House of Small Cubes"}} is a 2008 Japanese animated short subject film created by Kunio Katō, with music by Kenji Kondo and produced by Robot Communications and animated by Oh! Production.
It won several prizes, including The Annecy Cristal at the 32nd Annecy International Animated Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 81st Academy Awards.{{Cite web |url=http://www.shortfilmcentral.com/film/644/ |title=La Maison en Petits Cubes |website=Short Film Central |language=en |access-date=August 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805020640/http://www.shortfilmcentral.com/film/644/ |archive-date=August 5, 2017 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf20oFtjYso |title=WALL-E and La Maison en Petits Cubes Win Animation Awards: 2009 Oscars |date=18 October 2013 |type=YouTube |publisher=Oscars}}{{Cite web |title=The 81st Academy Awards |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2009 |access-date=22 September 2023 |website=Oscars.org}} It was also included in the Animation Show of Shows in 2008.{{Cite web |title=The Animation Show of Shows (Volume 49) |url=https://www.animationshowofshows.com/products/the-animation-show-of-shows-volume-49?_pos=1&_sid=bbe66e8a2&_ss=r |access-date=22 September 2023 |website=Animation Show of Shows}}
Plot
As his town is flooded by water, an aged widower is forced to add additional levels on to his home in order to stay dry. But when he accidentally drops his favourite smoking pipe into the lower submerged levels of his home, his search for the pipe eventually makes him relive scenes from his eventful life (including his time before the flooding began).
Production
The concept for the film originated when Kunio Katō was studying at Tama Art University in Tokyo. It initially took the form of a painting featuring box-shaped houses arranged in stacks. During this time, Kunio was introduced to the world of animation when he watched Mark Baker's 1989 debut short film, The Hill Farm. This experience significantly influenced Kunio's creative direction. He collaborated with his colleague and screenwriter, Kenya Hirata, to bring the project to life. However, despite receiving acclaim afterward, Kunio remained unsatisfied with the project as a whole.{{Cite web |date=18 September 2023 |title=Winning an Oscar, Losing Your Way |url=https://animationobsessive.substack.com/p/winning-an-oscar-losing-your-way |access-date=22 September 2023 |website=Animation Obsessive}}
Accolades
La Maison en Petits Cubes has won the following awards:
- 2008 Hiroshima International Animation Festival
- Hiroshima Prize{{cite web|url=http://hiroanim.org/en2010/e01about/1-06-12e.html|title=HIROSHIMA 2008(12) Aug.7-11 Venue : Aster Plaza|publisher=Hiroshima International Animation Festival|accessdate=August 4, 2017|website=HiroAnim.org }}
- Hiroshima Prize
- 2008 Japan Media Arts Festival
- Grand Prize – Animation Division{{Cite web |url=http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/english/festival/2008/winner.php |title=2008 Japan Media Arts Festival Awards |publisher=Japan Media Arts Plaza, Agency for Cultural Affairs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824171439/http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/english/festival/2008/winner.php |archive-date=24 August 2011 |access-date=1 March 2009}}
- 2008 Annecy International Animated Film Festival
- Junior Jury Award
- The Annecy Cristal
- 2009 Academy Awards
- Best Animated Short Film
- 2008 Message to Man
- Best Animated Film
- 2008 Anima Mundi
- Best Script – Jury Award
- 2008 LA Shorts Fest
- Best Animation
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{anime News Network|anime|10654|La Maison en Petits Cubes}}
- {{IMDb title|1361566|La Maison en Petits Cubes}}
{{Oh! Production}}
{{AcademyAwardBestAnimatedShortFilm 2001–2020}}
{{Japan Media Arts Festival for Animation of the Year}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maison en Petits Cubes}}
Category:2008 animated short films