When I was a wee lad, all I wanted to do was review movies. And not movies made by people I’ve never heard of, either. No, I just wanted to see what was in theaters, and what Dreamworks and or Paramount had to offer. I wanted to review movies that people knew about in my local theater. And then came “Exposure.” A favorite of mine when the Science Fiction Channel was starting in the US, “Exposure” showed me that indies are always as good and (many times) better than the mainstream. I explored some of the early work from masters like Tim Burton like “Frankenweenie.” For an hour every Sunday, I watched indie shorts, and loved each and every one of them.
“Antebios” is my favorite of the series run. In fact, it’s inspired me to love independent films, and has had a profound impact on my view of movies. Now a very rare and impossible to find film to see these days, “Antebios” is a fourteen minute animated short in the vein of “Hell in the Pacific” that’s quite possibly my favorite short film of all time. And ten years later, it’s still the best I’ve ever seen. Francois Baranger’s history as a computer animator and graphic designer is implemented in a visually stunning science fiction tale about an alien soldier lampooned on a distant planet after he’s attacked by a vicious monster known as the Antebios, a bipedal creature that exists in the vacuum of space. Crash landing, it crosses paths with two humanoid workers manning a deserted station.
Before too long, the soldier and the men are firing at one another in some incredibly staged animated sequences where Baranger brilliantly uses slow motion and vibrant rich pastels that convey the instant fear and survival tactics both species possess. But the creature explains (telepathically) that the fighting has to stop before the Antebios arrives. There is a catch though. It must survive on the planet for six hours, and it must follow strict codes of ethics which include killing anything it comes in contact with. As it bargains its way out of gunfire, the warrior comes face to face with the bug like Antebios while the humanoids are left in the crossfire attempting to help their new ally. Baranger’s animation is absolutely fantastic and remains dazzling to behold even ten years after the short was created.
More so, the premise has great potential for an epic adventure, and Baranger squeezes in a fantastic story along with some truly exciting and memorable animation that makes “Antebios” such a memorable short film. To cap it off, director Baranger leaves us with mouths agape closing with a surprise ending that’s quite awe inspiring, and puts on display the themes of charity, mercy, and honor that are consistent throughout the vignette. Even now, “Antebios” is an engrossing little movie that never fails to mesmerize me. I wish I had a copy of it. Many years later, “Antebios” is a great bit of creative inspiration as my favorite short film of all time that remains a success for Francois Baranger in terms of animation, storytelling, and action. It’s just a shame it’s impossible to find.