Luc Chamberland's sublime animated documentary, Seth's Dominion gets hardcover/dvd release.
So, my friend’s wife’s cousin’s friend of her neighbour apparently likened the experience of watching Luc Chamberland’s award-winning animation documentary, Seth’s Dominion to having good sex. Each time you see it, you want more. When the husband of the friend’s wife’s cousin’s friend of her neighbour learned about this, he ordered the newly released dvd/book right away.
Seth’s Dominion (which won the Grand Prize for Animated Feature at the 2015 Ottawa International Animation festival) achieves a rare feat in animation: you’re actually sad that it’s ended so soon. Chamberland’s loving portrait of the world of the mega-talented Canadian ‘don’t-call-me-a-graphic novelist’, Seth, is a fascinating exploration of the artist’s complex world; one that is nostalgic, sad, and yet equally hopeful and inspiring. As Seth discusses his creative process (and astonishing productivity), we get hints of a man seemingly still struggling to make sense of a somewhat fractured childhood and a past that no longer is. Seth’s beautiful, detailed art seems to be his escape, his sanctuary. He didn’t like the world he was given so he just made up his own.
Although the documentary alone is worth the price of admission, there’s an abundance of extra features in this special edition: two standalone short films (The Death of Kao-Kuk, The Great Machine) taken from Seth stories; an insightful Seth talk and Making of Featurette; and then there’s the book! Enveloping these cinematic treats is an absolutely stunning Seth-designed hardcover book filled with the artist’s photographs, comics, and art.
I’m not sure if Seth’s Dominion is going to improve your sex life (you should give it a try though just to see if the story of my friend’s wife’s cousin’s friend of her neighbour is true), but it will sure as hell enhance your life.
A well-known figure in the world of independent animation, writer, author & curator Chris Robinson is the Artistic Director of the Ottawa International Animation Festival.
