Questioning the very essence of Disney’s historical hold on traditional character design, Imitation of Life uses actual Disney animators to create a musical, filled with familiar surroundings, animals, and characters we think we’ve seen before, once upon a dream. We realize, we’ve been unknowingly taught to think of traditional animation through the eyes of Disney. The unnamed character dances through the film, singing to the birds like Sleeping Beauty, and taunting us to figure out what significance this world holds and the words he sings. The song feeling just as familiar as the animation. What could possibly be the story and origin of this little donkey sailor.

Mathias Poledna
Imitation of Life
35mm color film with optical sound; edition number five of five, plus 2 artist's proofs
3 min. loop
2013