Offerlamm

I honestly hesitated before featuring Offerlam, the animated short written and directed by Tova Persson.  Why?  Certainly not because of the striking animation.  Certainly not because of the enigmatic and powerful voiceover by Arril Johnson. And certainly not because of the stirring music by Loren Ma.  It’s probably because I’m not sure I quite understood it – but, then again, I am not sure I was supposed to.  However, it has placed itself firmly in my head for the entire day, so much so that I have rewatched it a number of times.

If you want a starting point, Offerlamm tells the story of a sheep, separated from its family, destined for a ritual.  The sheep has decided to send a letter to his sister to let her know what has happened to him since his separation.  I will leave you to interpret the rest according to your own imagination! 

Offerlamm has been making waves on the international festival circuit, earning selections at events across the UK, Sweden, Ukraine and the USA. The film has also impressed the Royal Television Society, taking home Best Animation in the South West of England Student category, alongside craft awards for both writing and production design. Its success continued at the RTS Student National Awards in London, where it collected a further craft award for writing. Today, Offerlamm also sits in the BFI archive as part of their collection on Contemporary British Animation.

Watch Offerlamm below.