A mixture of puppet and hand-drawn animation, The Necktie is the story of Valentin and his quest to find meaning in his life. Stuck in a dead-end job, he has forgotten all about the things that used to bring him joy. Years pass, and boredom replaces all his aspirations and hope for the future. It is only on his 40th birthday, when he rediscovers an old accordion hidden in the depths of his closet, that he regains his lust for life.
Ages 6 to 17
Arts Education - Music
English Language Arts - Children's Stories/Fables
Family Studies/Home Economics - Adolescent Development
Health/Personal Development - Human Growth and Development
This animated film portrays the stages of life starting from late adolescence, when young adults typically enter the job market. With students, get to the root of the filmmaker’s vision and the means he employed to express it. Where does the play of oppositions (brightness/dull grey, relief/flatness, noise/music, repetition/invention, resistance/submission, etc.) lead in the end? In this symbol-rich film, we may wonder about the ambiguous role played by the mother (the neckties), and remark on the absence of the father. What feeling emerges at the end: sadness or joy?