‘Genius Loci’ by Adrien Merigeau

One night, Reine, a young loner, sees within the urban chaos a mystical oneness that seems alive, like some sort of guide.

Nick Kush: Genius Loci was on my long list of my favorite movies of 2021 after watching it debut alongside the other animated shorts that were nominated for the 93rd Academy Awards. Its 2D paper animation (which clearly takes inspiration from 20th century paintings) is instantly eye-catching, and it becomes increasingly psychedelic as the short continues. Although Genius Loci unquestionably borders on incomprehensible as narrative threads seemingly dissolve amid all the chaotic imagery, that sensation later crystallizes as the short’s central theme: life (or, more specifically, urban life) and one’s purpose can feel confusing, messy, and sometimes animalistic.

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