The Head Vanishes

The Head Vanishes


                                The Head Vanishes
| 9 min
Free
streaming

Also available

In this poetic short, animator Franck Dion (Edmond was a Donkey) invites us to share the journey of Jacqueline, an elderly woman living with degenerative dementia. Jacqueline isn’t quite in her right mind anymore, but she’s determined to take the train to the seaside, as she has done every summer. Only this year, she’s constantly being followed by some woman who claims to be her daughter, and the trip takes some unexpected and phantasmagorical turns.

Click here to discover more titles from Get Animated! 2020.

Co-produced by Papy3D Productions, the National Film Board of Canada and ARTE France.

Embed this code on your site

The Head Vanishes, Franck Dion, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Video player width

by Reset
Credits
  • writer
    Franck Dion
  • designer
    Franck Dion
  • editor
    Franck Dion
  • director
    Franck Dion
  • French voice
    Florence Desalme
  • English voice
    Jeannie Walker
    Kathleen Fee
  • English adaptation
    Kathleen Fee
  • casting
    Kathleen Fee
  • voice direction
    Kathleen Fee
  • animation
    Gilles Cuvelier
    Gabriel Jacquel
    Nicolas Trotignon
    Franck Dion
  • intern
    Bei Chen
  • 3D modeling
    Nicolas Trotignon
  • rigging
    Clément Vaucelle
  • textures
    Studio Salon Caulaincourt
  • sets
    Studio Salon Caulaincourt
  • 3D renderer
    Studio Salon Caulaincourt
  • compositing
    Studio Salon Caulaincourt
  • original score
    Pierre Caillet
  • executive music producer
    Pierre Caillet
  • music - performance
    Akosh S.
    Edward Perraud
    Ludovic Balla
    Pierre Caillet
  • music recording
    Thomas Vingtrinier
  • music recording - assistance
    Rémi Bourcereau
  • music mixing
    Thomas Vingtrinier
  • music mixing - assistance
    Rémi Bourcereau
  • sound design
    Pierre Yves Drapeau
  • foley
    Lise Wedlock
  • sound recording
    Geoffrey Mitchell
  • re-recording
    Serge Boivin
  • technical direction
    Pierre Plouffe
  • technical coordination
    Daniel Lord
  • production coordination
    Michèle Labelle
  • administration
    Diane Régimbald
  • administrative team
    Diane Ayotte
    Karine Desmeules
  • producer
    Franck Dion
    Richard Van Den Boom
    Julie Roy

  • andreadonald27

    I saw this film as part of a "Best off" collection. Having know people both personally and professionally with dementia it really touched me on a number of levels. It conveyed the fear and confusion people with dementia experience in a very emotional way. This is a issue that will touch almost all of us in one way or another, but one we know little about. I was moved to tears at the final scene because it captured perfectly those fleeting moments of clarity when a glimmer of the person that was shines through.

    andreadonald27, 31 Mar 2017
  • caellen27

    I saw this film as "filler" for a screening of the Oscar-nominated animated shorts, and thought it was by far the most haunting. I can't understand why it wasn't nominated. (My husband and son both didn't get what it was about, so maybe it resonates more with women.) It was beautiful, poignant, and bittersweet.

    caellen27, 27 Feb 2017

The NFB is committed to respecting your privacy

We use cookies to ensure that our site works efficiently, as well as for advertising purposes.

If you do not wish to have your information used in this way, you can modify your browser settings before continuing your visit.

Learn more