Every day, a father and his son jump with a parachute from their vertiginous cold house, attached to a cliff, to go to the village on the ground, far away where they sell the ice they produce daily.
In a desolate, icy world, a father and daughter tirelessly plunge from their cliffside home each day to sell ice in the sun-baked world below. Their routine is disrupted when the daughter starts questioning their existence and the frozen traditions they uphold. This prompts a profound emotional journey for both as they confront the limitations of their isolated life.
Ice Merchants has been widely acclaimed for its stunning visual artistry and poignant, wordless storytelling. Critics praised its ability to convey deep emotion and complex themes through animation alone, making it a standout short film in recent years.
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Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film (2023), Won the Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the Berlin International Film Festival (2023), Won the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (2023).
The film was entirely hand-drawn and animated, with the animation team spending thousands of hours creating its distinctive visual style.
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