While many filmmakers and celebrities found themselves trapped outside their native countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, Michel Gondry decided to do something about it. Well, sort of. As a way of showcasing his creativity while locked down in Los Angeles, the auteur decided to handcraft an animated short film about his desire to go back to France, even if the world is out to stop him.
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In a new video, a film school that bears Gondry’s name (it was named after the French filmmaker and he often serves as the “godfather” of the film class and helped design the school’s logo), posted a new short from the director, which is “A Little Visit to My College.” In the short, an animated Gondry attempts to leave Los Angeles to make it to France. Along the way he runs into all manners of calamity, often leading to his own injury. A fitting story during this pandemic, clearly.
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But don’t confuse this with some sort of lockdown protest. Clearly, it’s just Gondry’s attempt to add a bit of creativity and humor to a situation that is distressing for so many people around the world. Also, even though the film is crafted with French titles, the silent nature of the project allows for the message to carry all over the world, allowing students in his French class to enjoy it but also including American idiots like myself, who are also delighted by the film.
Gondry isn’t the only filmmaker to use this time to make something new. Earlier in the lockdown, we saw David F. Sandberg create a spiritual sequel to his “Lights Out” short film, shot entirely in his own house. And recently, we saw Kathryn Hahn and her entire family recreate scenes from “Glengarry Glen Ross” using only American Girl dolls. So, even in this dark time, there’s plenty of new content to keep us entertained and keep creative folks working.