Evolizer (2007)

Directed by: Jan van Nuenen | 10 minutes | animation, short film

Human-like figures move in a black and white futuristic environment. One of these characters carries some sort of box, which appears transparent. The viewer is taken into a building, after which the box is opened and the viewer ends up in a kind of aquarium in a whirlwind of abstract shapes produced by ones and zeros. Here, against a black background, we see colorful shapes, almost molecules, grow in size until it becomes an environment that reflects marine life. Hungry fish are eaten by hungry fish, which in turn serves as a meal for even more creepy-looking fish. In the end, a “monster” who would still frighten Godzilla is victorious and manages to escape from his environment. Then the colored beast enters the “human world” and leaves a devastating impression here as well.

Video artist Jan van Nuenen (1978) makes experimental animation films, one of which is ‘Evolizer’. His films are characterized by collage-like material, which is made of video and photographic material or samples, which are combined and edited on the computer. The movements are often loops, repetitions or rhythmic in nature. It is without doubt a beautifully made film, but the lack of a clear narrative structure makes it a production for lovers of artistic and experimental films.