Death Does Not Exist

An existential modern fable told in surreal imagery, this transfixing hand-drawn animation is a vivid treatise on the personal cost of revolution. When a group of activists stages an attack on the ultra-wealthy residents of a gated mansion, events turn to tragedy, with an eruption of gunfire and a host of dead bodies. One of the activists, Hélène, flees the scene, retreating to a wilderness filled with strange animals, primal vistas and echoes of her subconscious. As she makes her way through the woods, Hélène is haunted by the spirit of her more radical comrade Manon, who says she has another chance to fight. Hélène must therefore decide whether to keep running or turn back. Premiering in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and screening in competition at Annecy, this meticulous, immersive 2D animation is the fourth longform outing from Félix Dufour-Laperrière, who won the Annecy Contrechamp Jury Award for his previous feature, Archipelago. Here, the vivid colours, mythical imagery and unexpected visual flourishes convey the strangeness of living in a time of climate crisis and horrifying social inequality. Presenting a pointed fight-or-flight choice to both characters and viewers, Death Does Not Exist explores the destructiveness of capitalism as well as the fragility and fleeting nature of life, from the individual to the ecosystem. It’s a distinctive, disarming work that interrogates the difficulties of sticking with one’s convictions and creating real social change. “Death Does Not Exist uses its dreamlike tone to make sharp real-world points about the potential power – and undeniable limitations – of individual action … visually nuanced and intriguing.” – Screen Daily