Beyond the blue meanies: the animation of Paul Driessen

After working on the Beatles’ animated film “Yellow submarine” Paul Driessen immigrated to Canada and joined the National Film Board in 1972. The six films in this compilation showcase the whimsical and unique style of a renowned prize-winning animator. Contains: “Le Bleu perdu/The Lost blue” : Grey smog clouds the earth and a young boy dons a pair of wings to learn that there is a clear blue sky; “Air!”: Clean, fresh air is becoming scarce as plants, birds, fish and finally, people, come to the same “breathless” end; “Cat’s cradle”: A parable using the metaphor of the cat’s cradle shows that all our lives are interconnected; “An old box”: During Christmas a lonely homeless man finds a magical box that takes him on a fantastic spiritual journey; “The Same old story”: Life is stranger than fiction — a truism that comes alive in this deceptively simple film; “The End of the world in four seasons”: Eight stories unfold simultaneously on screen in this witty black comedy to the accompaniment of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.