The Stained Group

If you fancy an extended visual metaphor, you’ve come to the right place.  This heartfelt and very touching animated short tells the story of Finn, a young boy who has stains on his skin.  He has met up with a trio of other kids that have similar stains, and together they form a community – one which helps them put up with the prejudice they encounter about their condition every day.  I guess that doesn’t sound too cheerful – and it isn’t – but I was left at the end with a sense of optimism. 

This animated short was created by a group of students at Rubika.  It has taken quite a while for this to make it onto the schools YouTube channel, but it won the prestigious "Jury's Choice" award at SIGGRAPH 2019.  The Stained Group was created by a talented bunch of students – directed by Mélanie Lopez, Chan Stéphie Peang, Alice Jaunet, Simon Boucly, Marie Ciesielski, and Béatrice Viguier.  Music is by Valentin Lafort and sound design by Henri Petitprez and Kamal Ouazène.  Watch The Stained Group below – and I am pretty sure you will know why I love this animated short so much by the time you get to the end!