Short of the Week

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Fantasy Jonatan Schwenk

ZOON

In the dark swamps of a nocturnal forest, a group of gleaming axolotls are in heat, nuzzling and nibbling one another’s limbs. Soon a much larger, two-legged forest-dweller encounters the lustful group and reaches down to gobble one of the small shimmering creatures. While dawn is slowly breaking, a cheerful feast begins.

Play
Fantasy Jonatan Schwenk

ZOON

In the dark swamps of a nocturnal forest, a group of gleaming axolotls are in heat, nuzzling and nibbling one another’s limbs. Soon a much larger, two-legged forest-dweller encounters the lustful group and reaches down to gobble one of the small shimmering creatures. While dawn is slowly breaking, a cheerful feast begins.
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ZOON

Fantasy about Greed in Puppetry
Directed By Jonatan Schwenk
Produced By Jonatan Schwenk & Merlin Flügel
Made In Germany

The pursuit of pleasure is a fundamental driver of human behaviour, offering motivation and fulfilment. So it’s natural that much of our time is dedicated to seeking or contemplating it. For director Jonatan Schwenk the process of reflecting on how to find a little happiness in life, lead him to create his short film ZOON. A surreal tale exploring the coexistence of two disparate beings within a shared environment, Schwenk’s animation presents a unique perspective on pleasure that encourages viewers to ponder their own sources of joy.

At just four minutes in length, the film introduces us to its first community of creatures as we’re immersed in the playful interactions of an assembly of axolotls gathered at the side of a pool. However, the dynamic shifts with the arrival of a second species – curious, sack-shaped bipeds – and the axolotls transition into facilitators of pleasure for these newcomers. The contrast between the contentment of the two species – one seemingly happy with life’s simple joys, while the other craves new experiences and greater heights – is portrayed from a neutral perspective, observing the beings on screen without passing judgement.

Zoon Jonatan Schwenk

The axolotls are brought to life through stop-motion, while the biped creatures are puppetry.

With Schwenk revealing that he was “trying understand different approaches to achieving happiness” while crafting his narrative, this admission begins to shed some light on the contrast depicted in his film. It becoming apparent that this exploration resonates with our own quest for joy as humans, as some advocate for simplicity, finding contentment with little, while others pursue a multitude of avenues for happiness. Again, Schwenk’s portrayal offers no real bias and he doesn’t seem to be advocating for one approach over the other – even if the outcome of the bipeds might suggest otherwise.

To accentuate the contrast between the two species, Schwenk opted for two distinct animation techniques to bring them to life. For the axolotls, the director selected classic stop-motion, using “simple kids plasticine without complicated armatures” to craft their appearance. While for the bipeds, despite lacking expertise in puppetry, they chose this method because it gave their movements a look that was “playful and fluid but also natural and a bit unpredictable”. The combination of both techniques results in a unique and unforgettable aesthetic, further heightened by the exceptional sound design, from the ever-impressive David Kamp, which adds another layer of impact to the overall experience.

Following a world premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2022, ZOON went on to play a number of other high profile events worldwide, with the film and Kamp’s sound work picking up awards along the way.

Filmmaker's Website