The Flying Sailor

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In 1917, two ships collided in the Halifax Harbour, causing the largest accidental explosion in history. Among the tragic stories of the disaster is the remarkable account of a sailor who, blown skyward from the docks, flew a distance of two kilometres before landing uphill, naked and unharmed. The Flying Sailor is a contemplation of his journey. Drawing on reports of traumatic shock and near-death experiences, animators Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis consider the kind of cataclysmic moment that pulls us from our path, strips us bare and utterly shifts our perspective. By suspending the Sailor in a state of near-death, the film contemplates the stuff of life that is at once fleeting, profound and utterly insignificant. The Flying Sailor marks the return of the Oscar-nominated and Palme d'Or-winning duo of Forbis and Tilby (When the Day Breaks, Wild Life). Employing a wealth of techniques (3D, 2D, live action, and photographs), along with a bold mix of comedy, suspense, philosophy and playful abstraction, The Flying Sailor is an exhilarating meditation on a few seconds of a life, and a celebration of the wonder and fragility of being.