Burn Out is a short film that invites people, whether young or old, to interview the child that resides in every one of us. Cécile Carre’s creation is a poetic journey that explores the importance of believing in dreams and never letting them go.
This delicately drawn animated film tells the story of Stella, a young woman astronaut stranded on an unknown planet. Alone with herself, the explorer is dismayed at the thought of having to give up on her mission. But then our heroine comes across a little girl who pops up from nowhere. This child, who has a very familiar face, nurtures the same ideas that the astronaut had when she was younger, along with an innate passion for the galaxy. This symbolic encounter shakes up the astronaut’s whole existence. The plot plays out in an inter-galactic cave. Although we might expect such a place to be cold and harsh, here it is like a little girl’s warm and cosy bedroom – and not just any little girl. For it seems that this cave hides an antechamber to Stella’s childhood bedroom. In this secret place the young woman let her fondest wish drift away – the wish to boldly go and discover the planet and its countless mysteries.
Burn Out is an allegorical animated short film full of wisdom. Aimed at young children, teenagers and adult film-lovers alike, it addresses a theme that is universal and, above all, cross-generational. Everyone can imagine themselves in this story and identify with the young astronaut who has lost her ambition. The youngest viewers will enjoy seeing the vivid portrayal of her dreams and will marvel at this beautiful fable about life, while grown-ups will see the film as welcome food for thought. From a technical perspective, the 2D and 3D animations are done with exquisite precision. The drawings are meticulous, rendered and coloured in perfect harmony. And if we had to choose one quote to retain from this film, we would immediately go for this evocative final pronouncement: “I’m afraid of giving up on my dreams when I grow up”.
