R´ha (Short Animated Movie)

The artwork in R'ha is stunning.

R´ha [short movie] from Kaleb Lechowski on Vimeo.
R'ha is a great animated short which is technically excellent and also has a quite subtle narrative for a six-minute animation. The visuals and concept were the work of one man - Kaleb Lechowski - which just goes to show you what one man with vision and expertise can do these days. Guys like Lechowski are awesome talents and deserve to have their work seen.

"R'ha" essentially works as a sort of combination of "Star Wars," "The Terminator" with maybe a dash of "Babylon 5." Ok, that is just a name-dropping way of saying that this is a science fiction animated short populated by odd aliens composed with superior execution. If you want the plot boiled down to a 'moral of the story,' it would be something along the lines of 'it pays to be clever.'

I can't help myself, I have to be a bit of a critic and point out a couple of places that could stand improvement (I know, I know, how dare I - well, I dare). The sound is very difficult to understand, especially the first time through. You may have to watch this a couple of times to catch all the dialog, though after you do understand it all, the sound works quite well. The animation also suffers from "dark disease," meaning everything is way too dark as a crutch to make the animation more "realistic." I certainly can excuse these problems due to this being an independent, one-man production. Overall, this gets the big A+, with kudos to the creators.

Written, directed and animated by Kaleb Lechowski (C) Kaleb Lechowski.
kaleblechowski.tumblr.com
Hartmut Zeller - Sound
hartmutzeller.de
Dave Masterson - Voice acting
imdb.com/name/nm2717717/
Scott Glassgold / IAM Entertainment - Representation
[email protected]

2020

Ayn Rand Animated Interview

Ayn Rand interview.

Ayn Rand Animated Interview.


Ayn Rand (1905-1982) was a well-known Russian émigré who became a best-selling author/philosopher. She espoused what might crudely be termed ultra-libertarianism ("Objectivism"). She wrote "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead," which were turned into films and Broadway plays, and authored the catchphrase "Who is John Galt." Among many other things, she was a critic of modern architecture and felt that people were responsible for their own actions and welfare and should not rely upon others.

In this recently animated interview from PBS digital studios stemming from February 1959, shortly after the publication of the well-received "Atlas Shrugged," Mike Wallace of CBS News presses Ayn on the nature of love and her own marriage and how they fit into her philosophy. He perhaps was trying to pin down an internal contradiction to her philosophy, but if so, he was completely ineffective. Ayn either was well-prepared or intellectually nimble, because she responded with a clear position in accordance with her underlying beliefs that appeared to take Wallace a bit by surprise. It is a smart, snappy interview that remains on a high intellectual level.

Not everybody is a fan of Objectivism, just as not everyone is a fan of liberalism, conservatism, Marxism, Socialism, and a lot of other 'isms.' However, Rand's philosophy struck a chord with many people, and it remains popular with many people to this day. I will warn you, though, that brilliant as her writing may be, her books (which I have read) are extremely long and dense and often not the most exciting reading even if they are fiction with interesting narratives. She tends, as you would expect, to be polemical and argumentative, which enhances the communication of her ideas perhaps, but at the expense of what some might term 'readability.' However, there also are quite interesting fictional stretches that are captivating for any fiction lover.

" I have no faith at all. I only hold convictions."
- Ayn Rand on February 25, 1959, as told to Mike Wallace

I also have posted other animated interviews by PBS digital studios of celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Kurt Cobain and Bette Davis.

Executive Producer: David Gerlach
Animator: Patrick Smith
Audio Producer: Amy Drozdowska
Colorist: Diana Tantillo

2020