6.9/10
841
8 user 2 critic

When the Day Breaks (1999)

A chance encounter, a juicy yellow lemon and an unfortunate twist of fate will reveal that the symbiotic relationship between people is inextricable.

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(concept)
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Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 19 wins & 3 nominations. See more awards »
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Storyline

A rooster has his last biscuit for breakfast and goes grocery shopping. A pig prepares her breakfast (potato peelings, with the potatoes thrown in the trash) and discovers she needs more milk. Their paths cross, a lemon falls into the sewer, and both lives are changed. Written by Jon Reeves <[email protected]>

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Short | Animation | Drama

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Release Date:

5 September 1999 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Cuando el día se rompe  »

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Nomination for Oscar - Best Animated Short Film, 2000. See more »

Connections

Featured in Animated Century (2003) See more »

Soundtracks

Chickenbone Waltz
(uncredited)
Music by Judith Gruber-Stitzer
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User Reviews

 
representative animals
25 December 2016 | by (Portland, Oregon, USA) – See all my reviews

Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis are a Canadian animation team. Early in their careers they contributed animation to a documentary about Noam Chomsky. In 1999 they released a cartoon short that received an Academy Award nomination: "When the Day Breaks". This short uses animals as an allegory for people's relationships with each other. I liked what they did with it. The short reminds us that not every animated production has to be an extravagant feature with the voices of celebrities.

I read that to create the scenes for "When the Day Breaks", Tilby and Forbis shot scenes with a Hi-8 camera, printed stills from the footage, and then drew on the stills. The short took approximately four years to complete. In the end, it had a good result. I'd like to see more of their work.

The short is available on the National Film Board of Canada's website.


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