Watch: ‘Charlotte’ Animated Short Film About a Forgotten Folk Song
by Alex Billington
June 14, 2022
Source: Vimeo
“There is something far worse than being forgotten… and that is to be misunderstood.” That’s a powerfully true statement. Is it possible to connect with and understand different people through music? That’s sort of the premise behind this stop-motion animated short film titled Charlotte, created & directed by filmmaker Zach Dorn. After first premiering at the 2021 Toronto Film Festival last fall, it’s now available to watch online below. Forgotten folk singer Lena Black discovers that her fifty-year-old song “Charlotte” has been remade into a hit pop song. Set in the aftermath of the release and the new pop song’s massive success, this short explores how the legacy of the song impacts Lena and her family. The film stars the voices of O-Lan Jones (as Lena), Devin Schlatter, Chase Padgett, Phoebe Jane Hart, and Michael Goldfried. This is a much more contemplative film than you might be expecting, focusing more on the words being spoken.
Thanks to Vimeo Staff Picks for the tip on this one. Synopsis from Vimeo: “Forgotten folk singer Lena Black releases her song, Charlotte, in 1971. Fifty years later, the pop singer T.Y.M. releases a highly-successful cover. ‘Charlotte’ follows the fall-out of this pop song on the lives of the Black family, including Lena Black, her daughter Diane, and her 11-year-old grandson, Eli.” Charlotte is short film written and directed by Los Angeles-based filmmaker Zach Dorn – you can see more of his work on his Vimeo or visit his official site. Featuring music by Jenna Caravello, Zhenya Golikova, and Emerson Kitamura. This initially premiered at the 2021 Toronto Film Festival. On the origins: “I imagined the original version of Charlotte as a radio play, sort of a Joe Frank voyeuristic drama, set inside footage of miniature landscapes without any puppets.” For more info on the film, read an interview with Zach on Vimeo. To discover more shorts, click here. Thoughts?
