Run

An afternoon in a small town. Dead leaves in the air. A man wrapped in a scarf wanders aimlessly, drinking takeaway coffee. Suddenly he's captivated by an item in a second-hand shop window, matching the colour of his scarf - the coolest winter hat! Sadly, the shop is already closed. The man runs home and sets an alarm for the following morning. Excitement keeps him awake. The morning after. Coming back to the shop he sees another man leaving with THE hat. Wanting it badly, he decides to follow it. Soon the hat sets out a journey of its own, followed by the man and every time he's about to catch it, a random event makes foils him. Ultimately, he pays the price and succeeds. On a seashore, wrecked by the chase, the man finally wraps his bloody fingers around the elusive hat. The excitement, however doesn't last long. In the face of this fresh, novel, bigger dream, he drops the hat and runs again. This time, after a butterfly that's been hiding inside the hat all along.

Director’s statement
Run is an old idea of mine inspired by an early realisation that achievement is always followed by a new goal. Chasing it, the main character unfolds hidden sides of himself, each requiring a different sort of uncomfortable sacrifice. As it often happens when something is too hard to get, the object he follows marks his single-minded pursuit. Run revolves around philosophy and humour. What we do with success and misfortune has always been of abiding interest to me and exploring topics like that through an animated short film I see as a great chance. With Run, I aim to portray the notion that the journey is just as important as the destination, if not more. Enough may not exist and it might not always make sense, but running after a dream seems to always be a good idea when we consider the alternative.