I'm searching a short film during many years. Maybe you'll be able to help me.
Where and When ?
Late 1990 or early 2000. In a local movie theater during a school trip. The movie was in French, but maybe it exist in other country and language.
What sort of media ?
It was a short film in animation. I remember stop motion with clay paste but with some drawing part in it. It is possible the movie was only made with drawing
It was the story of a very very poor man in Africa and a narrator tell us what happen to him. He was so poor that he can't buy food and become more and more thin.
One day he find a spirit, or a genius. that magical creature tell him to make a wish. He can give to the man everything he wants. But his neighbor have to received the double.
The man think of different things : a buffalo, a house, a beautiful wife... But all the time he remember his neighbor is going to have the double and it makes him change his mind.
The next day the spirit come back and ask the man what he want. the man answer : "Arrache moi un oeil" (in French) "Take an eye out of me"
Other details ?
-in a scene the narrator said the man was so thin that he was curved by the wind, like grass. - When the man think about his wish I think his different option were not stop motion but drawing with a stylized design inspired by some sort of "African" art. With a draw for his wish. And an other for what his neighbor should have. - The movie end with the man's eye in big saying the final wish and a black cut.
This short film is named "Le voeu" (the vow ?) by David Alaux. You can have more information and even images here : www.unifrance.org/film/23531/le-voeu
How did I find it ? I ask chat gpt and ... he didn't find it. I ask month later and he replay : This is Le Voeu by Michel Ocelot. Michel Ocelot is very famous, particulary in France, but he never make a movie called Le Voeu. So I told this to chat who admit his error and was appologetics. Finaly I made a different research with googl. I just enter these key words : "Le Voeu court métrage" and kaboum ! I got the result !
This was actually so simple. But I never knew that movie could be called "Le voeu", so without the title, I was in a dead end.
I'm very happu to finally behing able to find this movie.
I'm going to ask the production society and the creator of the movie were I can watch it.
The production ( TAT production ) was kind enough to send a vimeo link to the short film. But a temporary link with no autorisation to share it or anything. I can show screenshot of my conversation with TAT production for évidence if needed.
So that short film is a lost media withheld ?
At least We have confirmation it still exist somewhere, we just don’t have the right to see it for now.