When the Day Breaks 

for the soundtrack: When the Day Breaks - Martha Wainwright Chickenbone Waltz - Music by Judith Gruber-Stitzer Prairie Blue - Chaim Tannenbaum

Wow... almost every clip of this video could be an expensive peice in an art museum.

He just wanted lemons

When being questioned by the police: Officer: So Ruby, why did the chicken cross the road? Ruby: I don't think jokes are appropriate right now...

The distress is shown so well by the characters but I love the subtlety in the imagery as well! This film is one of the rare ones that can speak with silence and "camera movement" alone-- from the disorienting city montage to the somehow innately distubing image of smashed biscuits and otherwise brand new groceries on the road as a perfect metaphor for life abruptly interrupted (and the dog eating the fish as other life inevitably continues). Ruby's chair that was tipped nonchalantly only a few minutes ago, is now lying on the floor recast in a more ominous light, and even the potato peels seem to acquire new meaning of a past that can't be returned to, even by adding the everyday banality of tea. The montage of the connections linking the separate citizens symbolically and literally was also beautifully done. I love the blending of animation styles for this video and I love how they are made full use of! Ultimately, for better or for worse, life goes on- and we have to learn to move with it.

This film is fantastic. I love how the animals look so human. The music choice and the feel of it all is brilliant. Impressionism is the way to go!!

i searched for the scp but found this masterpiece 👍

I love how they brought back an old animation technique from the 30's and somehow managed to make it feel new ❤️

This reminds me of my mother in a sweet way.

This is beautiful. Music, drawings, animation: huh... some water in my eyes? A bit disturbing... but... at least .... so beautiful. All is one.

aawh - good old handmade art - beautifully artistic animation :) great how different styles just work well together - love it.

one of the greatest fuckin animations ive ever seen

"We are all connected"

I was 17 when I first fell in love with this video, I'm 24 now.. I still look back to this every once in a while. Brings back memories.. thank you for keeping this up. I hope I never loose this. 🙏

Rodoscoping could never look more beautiful at times like this

I'm in love with the mixture of animals becoming human strangely while the music help caress them along through the dark world where death and pain is involved.

*eating potato chips* *potato gets thrown in da bin* *starts crying*

This looks fantastic.

Miss piggy looks so cute

hauntingly beautiful

I will never get over how "real" this looks.

Amazing art style.

The plot ended up being much lighter than I was expecting, but nonetheless the artwork and animation were very beautiful. I enjoyed the style and fluidity.

I personally interpret this in multiple ways, the first being about how worthless and how cruel our lives are for us to live our lifetime (represented by pictures of chicken after his death) just to abruptly die from something so insignificant and perhaps teaches us to live each day as it passes. The second interpretation i made from this film is that the world does not revolve around a group of people/event, this was shown towards the end of the film where the wires and electricity which connect to other people is shown. I believe this for two reasons, the first being that life just carries on no matter what and that the future cannot be changed to match the past and that holding onto the past is worthless (indicated by room left in exact same state by the time ruby returned) but also that although we have all these connections (electricity) not everyone is affected by the same event identically hence the people continuing on with life in the other apartments.

I find this depressing and get a different message. Instead of affirming connection, I feel like it affirms that no life really matters. Folks go on with their days, For a brief moment Ruby is touched, and then goes on with her day. Just like us.

When u are an scp fan and realises that this video has nothing to do with 001:

Saw this on Turner Classic Movies last night. Quite a thought-provoking piece and one of my favorites.

It's good to know that we are not alone in the world. Thank you so much for your friendship. Trully.

I am grateful to have discovered the National Film Board. I wish I could go to a museum and watch a whole night of these artful films on a big screne.

The classic theme shown through this film- life goes on. Very well made- solemn, and haunting.

I did not see anything beautiful like this

When life gives you lemons.....

All this knowledge. Human body, pipelines, perspective, electricity. And many more, were shown in a few minutes. You truly are a genius, man!

This deserves more views.The style of art is beautiful and quite realistic.

I've finally found this short!! I knew I didn't dream it!! I remember how shocked I was when the rooster got run over. That scene mark me, plus the potatoes scene , the lemons ,the bones, and the artstyle were the only stuff that I could remember.

all that shading! this must have taken forever to animate

One of my absolute favourite shorts of all time. That thrilling, chilling, overwhelming yet so easily-forgettable and fleeting realization that comes across us every so often, that we are all connected, we all have a story, and those stories go on and on, with or without us. Told in such a charming way. I smile wide at the end of this animation every time. c:

Each life is individualistic. Short, mundane moments, taken for granted, can be snuffed out in a second. The seconds tick away for us all as we go about our little moments that comprise our lives totality. Life is a game of inches, seconds, moments, choices. We are all the same.

the motion and movement feels smooth

Ah, I love surreal animations like this. :^)

So the death of a Rooster does not have to put you off your food, and life carries on! Brilliant animation!

Two months ago, my grandmother suddenly passed away. Due to many different circumstances, such as money and immigration issues with my family, I never got to meet her. I was actually a month away from finally going to Taiwan to see her when she died, and so, when I did meet her, it was at her funeral. Earlier today, something at work reminded me of her, and the stories my mother has always told me about my grandmother, and it has cast a bit if a pall on my night. But somehow, this video showed up in my RU-vid recommendations. Pigs are my favorite animal in the world, and I find that I relate to them so strongly that sometimes even watching videos of them playing will make me teary-eyed...i saw a lot of myself in Ruby, and indeed, in my life, I've had a lot of good reasons to hide and shut out the sun. This video was a kind blessing to me, as the child of immigrants who is trying to understand death, and loving someone I never knew. Thank you for making this.

This is phenomenal.

The quality was amazing, and I never saw animation such as this and how lively it really was. Fantastic job!

Does any one remember watching these on CBC or the Comedy Network in the 90's Especially after hours or on Sunday afternoons?

It saddens me that even though people die, everything goes on as if nothing ever happened

Very fitting title and the rotoscoped elements work well with the paint.

Watched this film since 8 years ago around. Still being one of my favourite animated short films.

the things one finds wandering on the web; entertainment at it finest... a hidden jewel

Beautiful, so heart wrenching and the characters really have come to life. Thank you!

The parts where its actual shots drawn over and all that are just so haunting in the best way I can't take my eyes off

The way the chicken stepped out the house and put his hat on was so smooth. This whole animation is smooth.

This film always leaves me feeling so profoundly sad and empty but in a way that almost feels good. It perfectly encapsulates what it’s like to be a human being. Bittersweet.

This Is art!

What a beautiful piece, and wonderful music as well. Thank you masterfully done.

For some reason I'm getting an over the garden wall vibe.

I can't help but come back every few years

I remember seeing this one on Anima Mundi! :D Thank you for making me remember it!

I love everything about this film. Its brilliant! 💕👏

Charming, and fantastic POVs!

Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. I wish movies were still hand animated...

Incredible artwork.

It's like a movie shot with only a 150mm lens and then rotoscoped with animals.

I keep coming back to this short, it's so good

Haunting... disturbing....intriguing....eerie....beautiful....captivating..... something I had to watch as soon as I clicked it...marvelous piece of work! 👏

When you start feeling dread and know you could die at any moment...yup...great animation great use of shading and movement

Magnifique !! BRAVO !!

very nice animation :)

The imagery is fantastic. I really liked the two men smoking whike checking her out. Thanks

This is wonderfully animated, honestly perfect to me

Back in high school animation class we all watched this video. The ending was unexpected but so true on the facts of life.

The pig is so cute

This piece is very well written, there are so many metaphors in it too

Such beautiful work of art.

Better than Zootopia

This film is magnificent! The only thing that disturbs me is how Ruby (the pig) buys milk, yet we see a cow in 6:47. Just somewhat odd to me.

I had no idea what this short film was about, and for some reason I didn't realize that someone had died in the accident however, I personally am someone who is tormented with an endless amount of cruel, spiteful, hateful and deceptive chatter, and for nine minutes and thirty-seven seconds, I was completely absorbed by the beautiful animation (it looks like it was drawn using pastels and charcoals), the wonderful singing and the feeling of being back home in the old streets (and possibly neighborhood) in Montreal where my dad was born and raised. The short was emotional, elegant and made simple and ordinary moments feel so important and memorable. Love, Gary

i dont see anyone melting at the sun

Brilliant. Animation and music.The characters are so human..✩

This is one of the best films I've ever watched.

I love how this is animated!

Animation is just wonderful.

This is phenomenal!

No, that was too short! :( I wanted that to be a full movie! So creative in such a short span of time! Truly wonderful.

Edit: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." -TheBible🌺

You find the access tunnel, hidden within a natural cave a mile off the main road. You don't need the keycard. The door is ajar. It smells here. It smells like them. Hopefully, they've moved on. You've come so far already. You can't turn back now. There is a slick trail that leads from the cave entrance and into the depths of the site. If it's blood or shit - or something that smeared off one of those things, you cannot tell. You make a point to avoid it. You're still receiving the distress signal. It only started broadcasting yesterday. Whoever it is - you pray they're still alive. Your footsteps echo throughout empty corridors. Each footfall sounds for all the world like a dozen, as if you're not treading through the dark alone. Elevator is down - so you take the stairs, ending on floor B5: Keter Holding. You pass several empty containment chambers. The horrors they once held are long gone. If you're lucky. The trail takes you to an office branching off the main hall - the source of the signal. The door is cracked open, but stuck. You plant your feet, push with all your might. Something skitters out of one of the rooms to your left and around the corner before you can get a good look at it. Your first thought is 'dog'. It was on the ceiling, though. You take refuge in the room, slam the door behind you. It's dark here. You're safe. You take off your jacket and head wrap. It'd be a damn shame to die from something like hyperthermia after all that's happened. The sole operating emergency light rotates in its casing - casting a pale orange glow across the room every other second. As if the room itself had a pulse. There's shelving haphazardly placed behind the door - a barricade. You scan the room. Soiled clothes, half eaten food. Despite the presence of an adjoining restroom, there is excrement in a bucket in the corner. A pneumatic chamber on the Northern wall would have been delivering consumables to the occupant. The trail terminates in the corner of the room, forming a sick puddle. You spot three pharmacy bottles - further inspection reveals them to be various opioids. They're all empty. There's a desk with a computer atop it. Approaching the terminal, you can clearly see the blinking light of the power button. You take a seat. Turn it on.

Brilliant in every possible way

Everything is just put so well together .

It's beautiful how they mix the drawing with the filming

So grainy yet so smooth!

that is stunning.

mmmmm, the classic meal of Potato shaving and cream. you aint got nothin on this carrots and cream!

this is a gem ❤

1 of the best art i had ever seen

I can only imagine the time and the effort that this movie animation took.

normally when people create a world where animals are the protagonists, they do it in the middle of an atmosphere with vibrant and striking colors, so I never thought of seeing an animal world taking on the role of the human being in such a realistic, sad and monotonous way; Needless to say, I loved it. P.S. I recommend you the documentary “Happiness”.

This arts amazing! Thank you.

That's so sad and so creepy in my life!

The perspectives are amazing.

Extremely fascinating to watch.