Tall Wall

“It’s easy to see the connection between everyday life and this alternate dark future…”

"Tall Wall" is a short animation depicting the stories hidden underneath a smallpox epidemic. Through the CCTVs and webcams, we see the stories of the citizens in Las Nieves, a fictional city in lockdown, unfolds.

With the endless possibilities animation offers filmmakers across the world, we’re delighted to see such a unique and distinct film like Tall Wall. It was clear from the opening title that this was a film produced with a clear direction and style.

Director Bea Qian and the team took on an intriguing concept likely inspired by COVID but instead added a superb Sci-Fi twist that explores themes of Government dystopia and dependence on technology. It’s easy to see the connection between everyday life and this alternate dark future.

The animation style has an almost video game quality to it with the fixed CCTV camera angles. The characters movements have an awkward and afflicted quality to them that really suits the theme. The way each character moves is a little off and purposefully so, adding subtle details like this really impacts the film. The backgrounds are outstanding and full of detail, most of which will be missed on first viewing. There is real depth in the picture and adds a sense of being immersed in a concrete city. The dark textures, glowing lights and muted colour palette all work seamlessly together.

The voice acting throughout the film is worth paying attention to as it doesn’t flow like a conventional film, instead what we get are brief moments that blend together creating an uneasy sensation as though you’re watching it live.

Bea Qian and the team deserve a lot of recognition for this film and should certainly consider adapting it into a longer piece to expand the story with a traditional narrative structure, as we expect viewers to tune in...

— APEX Film Awards