Hacker Cinema
To Be
1990 · Film · short · 10 min
Directed by John Weldon
Science FictionAnimationComedy
Blending fantasy and reality, this animated short is a bold inquiry into an as yet unresolved problem - the nature of human identity. When a scientist creates a machine that can make copies of physical objects, including humans, a number of ethical questions arise. Is the technique moral? What of its safety? A film by Oscar-winning filmmaker John Weldon (who also wrote the catchy banjo tune that punctuates the story's changing moods).
3 positive2 neutralfrom 5 commenters
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5 comments on Hacker News
On the claims made for technology vs what you actually get: https://www.nfb.ca/film/to_be/
That film of Log Driver's Waltz was animated by John Weldon, who has a bunch of… unique films (hard to say they're good for kids!):
• To Be: https://www.nfb.ca/film/to_be/
• Special Delivery: https://www.nfb.ca/film/special_delivery/
• Spinnolio: https://www.nfb.ca/film/spinnolio/
BTW here's a version of the Log Driver's Waltz with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKfQ64vQZPo
Thank you for sharing this. Here is an official (free) link with better resolution: https://www.nfb.ca/film/to_be/
The short film "To Be" [1] is a fun exploration of this idea. (The animation is a bit crude, but it's worth watching. There's a low-quality version on YouTube [2].)
The same paradox is a major plot point in Christopher Nolan's The Prestige, and in Stanislaw Lem's Star Diaries.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Be_(1990_film)
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUXKUcsvhQc
Better quality (but with Flash requirement):
https://www.nfb.ca/film/to_be/