Sophie and Jessica are anthropomorphic beings, somewhere between human and mutant possum in appearance. One minute they are at the royal court preparing for the coronation ceremony, the next they are playing on the carpet with wooden toys or wandering the aisles of a high-speed train. We may not immediately identify with them because of their appearance, but after a while we discover that their actions are very human. The title of this meticulously animated film is taken from the term 'pre-operational stage', a phase of cognitive development in children when they do not yet use hard logic, but rather think on a symbolic level. The boundaries between what is real and what is not are not yet fully formed at this stage and the child often role plays to understand their surroundings. Which, as a result, many adults may also do.
directed by: Philip Ullman
year: 2024
duration: 13 min
country: Netherlands