The House of Small Cubes is a Japanese short film whose duration is only 12 minutes. But it's more than enough to transmit many feelings with incredible music that will leave you stunned after watching this magnificent film. This animation tells the story of a stubborn old man who lives quietly in a city flooded by the sea. Due to the flood, he needs some time to build a new floor (cube) for his house. One day, while carrying his things to the new floor, he accidentally drops his precious pipe into the submerged lower levels of his home. The synopsis isn't very attractive, but this event allows us to witness how he relives his most beautiful and dearest memories. Thanks to this, we can witness that in each cube of the house, the protagonist recalls his most precious memories (from the most recent to the oldest ones). That's where the name of this film comes from.
In addition, the film doesn't have any dialogue. Therefore, the music that complements the moments of this story can enhance the most beautiful and sad scenes of this film. This film can be interpreted in different ways depending on each person. However, I think the main themes are family, nostalgia, melancholy, loneliness and memories.
The good messages I can interpret from this movie are that we shouldn't forget to enjoy our stages in life because all our problems eventually disappear with time. Also, good memories last forever in our minds, appreciate them while you create them. There is more, but you can find out by watching this excellent film.
This incredible film has no words. It doesn't need them because all the information is given by the music and the images that seem to be painted in oil. This masterpiece gives its viewers the possibility to enjoy an incredible movie and to perceive that life is all about small details. I hope you want to see it.
Thanks for reading. If you see the movie, let me know what you think in the comments or in a post.
This short film sounds lovely! I fell in love with animated short films when I started using them in my ESL classes as they’re incredibly succinct & moving. I’ll add this short film to my watch list. Are there any other short films that you particularly enjoyed?
I just watched the short film, and wow! The animation is wonderful, really pleasing to the eyes. And of course the story too is very touching. Thanks for recommending it, I would recommend it too :)
Abby, I generally recommend the following short films: Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor (2007), and Memories (1995).
I'm glad you liked this animated film. Thanks for commenting, Faeza :)