The Physics of Sorrow (French: Physique de la tristesse) is a Canadian animated short film, directed by Theodore Ushev and released in 2019.[1]
The Physics of Sorrow | |
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Directed by | Theodore Ushev |
Based on | The Physics of Sorrow by Georgi Gospodinov |
Narrated by | Rossif Sutherland |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Running time | 27 minutes |
Country | Canada |
Based on the novel by Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov, the film tells the story of a man reminiscing about his childhood as he struggles to understand the meaning and purpose of his life.[1]
The film was animated entirely through encaustic painting, an old artistic technique involving the melting of pigmented beeswax.[1] It was narrated by Rossif Sutherland, and features a smaller voice appearance by his father, Donald Sutherland.[2]
The film premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival,[3] where it received an honourable mention from the Best Canadian Short Film award jury.[4] It also received a Special Mention for Best Canadian Short Film at the 2019 Vancouver International Film Festival,[5] and was named Best Canadian Film at the 2019 Sommets du cinéma d'animation.[6]
In December 2019, the film was named to TIFF's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list for short films.[7] It was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2019,[8] and won the Prix Iris for Best Animated Short Film at the 22nd Quebec Cinema Awards in 2020.[9] The Physics of Sorrow also won a Golden Sheaf Award for Best Animation at the 2020 Yorkton Film Festival.[10] In 2020 the film won "the Annecy Cristal" (le Cristal d'Annecy) at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.[11]
The Physics of Sorrow at IMDb