WORLD OF TOMORROW by DON HERTZFELDT 

> Ask confusing question to an adult > Do a little wiggle > Refuse to elaborate

Oh cool, the best sci-fi work of our time.

"I do not have the mental or emotional capacity to deal with his loss. But sometimes, I sit in a chair late at night and quietly feel very bad. When the night is at its most quiet, I can hear death. I am very proud of my sadness because it means I am more alive." God idk why this hits me so hard but it really does.

"Live well and live broadly. You are alive and living now. Now is the envy of all of the dead." I genuinely think this quote changed my life

“You are alive and living now. Now is the envy of all of the dead.” I won’t lie; this line has seriously kept me going when I was especially depressed and borderline suicidal.

When she was saying “I’m walking with mommy!” I started to tear up. There something innately personal about the memories one has of their childhood, even if they’re universal amongst most people.

“Sometimes I sit by myself at night and quietly feel very bad” Damn I felt that

Emily prime's ignorance to the weird events happening around her is simultaneously hilarious, horrific, and adorable.

"Did you miss me?" ".......yes." "You missed it. I saw it. You missed it." The little times where Emily Prime says something simple that accidentally leads to a profound thought. They just make this.

The way how the Emily Clone softly breaks her voice after saying “goodbye” to her is such a small detail but it makes all the more impactful.

Not everyday when an artist posts an absolute masterpiece of cinema on their RU-vid channel for free, but today happens to be one of those days.

I always tear up when the line, “I no longer fall in love with rocks,” is delivered.

"But the robots were too expensive to remove. To this day, they are still in perpetual movement across the sunlight. With no more work to do, no more tasks to accomplish, still living in constant fear of death, and occasionally sending us depressed poetry." Absolutely sublime.

Teared up when she said "I missed something deeper." "Did you miss me?" "Yes." Emily prime can't comprehend how wise of a question she's just proposed but it rings true. Something about it made me teary.

This makes me think of a very short poem I read a couple of years ago and it didn't make sense to me rationally but I wouldn't forget it. It said: "We look at the world once, in childhood. The rest is memory." Oh well.

God I love that the Emily clone has a very robotic monotone voice until at 12:53 when Emily prime asks what was in the sky and the clone, who has already stated what they were, repeats it in a slightly frustrated tone, showing that she has still a shred of human emotion still in her. God what an incredible piece of art.

This is one of those thing everyone should see/experience.

Don will just casually drop one on the most profound, funny, and heartfelt pieces of art for free in the form of a 16 minute video, and I will always be grateful for that

1 hour = 4 years 24 hours = 96 years 1 week = 672 years Grandpa is only getting the "latest films and books" every 672 years.

11:53 Emily undid her third generation clone with 3 words that any child could have uttered. To have found herself in such a spot that such a simple observation of the facts breaks her as an adult.

Those last 20 seconds where it seems like Emily prime didn’t make it to her correct timeline, and it dawns that all the beautiful lives ahead of her will cease to exist, never fail to make my heart jump and eyes well up with tears.

One of the most impressive things to me is how convincingly little Emmy acts like how a real toddler would act going through this

The way she delivers "I no longer fall in love with rocks" so softly compared to everything else. This is an amazing movie.

I recall watching this on Netflix when I was 15, sitting on the couch at 2am sobbing my eyes out. This was something so profound to me, I loved it so much. I loved how little stick figures could make me feel so much. Thank you for this work of art, thank you for making something that has inspired me to this day. I think this will be something I come back to every now and again, each time a different understanding. Thank you.

i cry every time i get to the memory extraction. the idea of such a simple memory driving clone emily to contact emily prime because it's the one thing she can think of to bring herself comfort while faced with her imminent death... heartwrenching.

“I am very proud of my sadness, because it means I am more alive.” God that gives me chills, makes me tear up. Just wonderful.

The little single eyebrow raise when Emily 3 extracts the memory of “This is me and mommy walking” from Emily Prime. Been crying for 5 minutes.

Not everyday that you get to watch an Oscar nominated movie on RU-vid

This has so many great lines but, for some reason, "did you miss me? yes" and "I no longer fall in love with rocks" break me so much. I love it.

"This is me and mommy walking." Reminds me of a single moment in my childhood, waayy before my long-term memory worked properly. I was walking at a mall, each of my hands were holding my father's and mother's hand. There wasn't any deeper significance, it was just a memory of me walking in the mall holding mom and dad's hands. Not even them remembers it, that's how insignificant that moment is. Yet the memory lingers within me, perhaps it was my subconscious aching to relive it, just like Emily 3rd

whoever that kid voice actor is needs a lot more credit than she’s getting

The kid who voices baby emily did a great job, her voice is so cute

"Do not lose time on daily trivialities. Do not dwell on petty detail. For all of these things melt away and drift apart within the obscure traffic of time. Live well, and live broadly. You are alive and living now. Now is the envy of all of the dead."

The little Emily honestly has impeccable comedic timing I’ve never seen any film depict a child so realistically, while having them blend in so naturally with written dialogue. Making her a part of the writing process was brilliant

It's weird to think that Emily Prime doesn't seem like she's paying attention but her future clone remembers the advice that was given. Does that mean that it's always stuck with her and did she follow her ow advice? The fact that future Emily's mission before death was to retrieve a loss memory instead of time traveling to the past to stay alive makes me wonder about the worth of immortally.

everyday some line or moment from this movie comes to mind, especially the bit around 2:53 - “our more recent history is comprised of people watching view screens.” I think about this a lot. Such a masterpiece.

"Live well and live broadly. You're alive and living now. Now is the envy of all of the dead." To this day, this line makes my heart tremble. I cannot explain why.

I LOVE how clone Emily has the same eye-tick as clone David when she talks about how there is no “deterioration” ( 1:18 - 11:09 ) among the clones. I like to think she developed this after his death, perhaps as an unconscious way to express grief over his death, or as a way for her brain to tell herself that she isn’t the same anymore, how she is deteriorating mentally in the infinite process of cloning and talking to herself, waiting and knowing about her inevitable horrible death.

Young children and animals have something in common: they don't have existential crises, they just enjoy being alive We should be more like them

"I loved him as if we were originals..." I cannot express how much this short animated film has meant to me in my life.

"This is- this is me, and mommy... this is me and mommy walking... this is me and mommy walking." I'm not crying. You're crying.

"It is easy to get lost in memories" is my absolute favorite line from this entire production. It says so much in such a simple way. I live this, and I love this.

might be reading too far into it, but there’s some deep symbolism in the things/people Emily falls in love with. she falls in love with a sparkly rock because it’s aesthetically pleasing, but such a relationship isn’t built on any inner connection. she falls in love with a fuel pump because it’s a steadfast provider. she needs fuel to survive, and the pump gives it without question. but it’s still a folly, because fuel pumps can’t think or speak. she falls in love with Simon, despite the language barrier, because he’s a true companion. but companionship doesn’t always mean love. he seems more like a pet than anything, and while pets can offer some of the deepest, truest kinship, they’re not an intellectual source of human connection. then she meets David’s clone. a memory. someone she’s spoken to a million times and felt a passion for, even when his original wasn’t properly conscious. she’s literally known him in different lifetimes. even though he died “young,” and she doesn’t have much time left herself, she got to experience true love. just once. and that’s enough for all the lifetimes you could possibly count.

“I no longer fall in love with rocks” is haunting.

I just watched this with my boyfriend and it prompted a long conversation about the value of living in the present and appreciating each day we're alive together. It's wonderful how art connects people and makes us think those deep thoughts. This animation is so important to me. I really need to buy Don Hertzfeld's other works if they're anywhere near as thought provoking as World of Tomorrow.

I remember discovering your videos over 10 years ago. here I am, 10 years later. a battle of cancer older and still crying to the things you have to say. thank you, Don.

“I do not have the mental, or emotional capacity to deal with his loss” it sounds like something a robot trying to be a human would say

honestly, this could fit pretty well on Love Death + Robots, it's a perfect mix of animation, humor, sci fi and thought provoking storyline.

''I do not have the mental or emotional capacity to deal with his loss, but sometimes late at night I quietly sit in a chair and feel very bad'' OMG...this got me good it seems .. i do miss my friend

I love how the eyes not being fully filled in makes them look more emotional

I remember fondly being in film class my first year of college at Edinboro U PA, and my professor played your "Everything Will be OK". Of course being the generation that grew up with newgrounds and funnyjunk, I saw your original stuff(the rejects). I was blown away strangely when I saw your larger work. Then another professor of mine in animation played it as well to teach us the flip-page animation, the whole class was flip-page and he made us go through your stuff again. Now here I am at home, turning 30 soon and still watching your animations. Your videos spark memories that take me way back in time over the years. Funny how life works like that lol thank you for what you put out into the world, and as I comment it might not get seen but idc, I'm building a new memory right now and sharing it with my husband

I just did a presentation on Hertzfeldt in my animation class less than 2 hours ago. If this had been posted an hour earlier I would’ve included it in full in my presentation. So glad it’s accessible for free now so more people can see this beautiful art!

Love this ❤️

Ever since Jacob Geller did a video about you, primarily about the couch gag you did for The Simpsons, I wanted to see this. The wait was worth it, I was on the verge of tears for at least half of it, but for some reason my eyes wouldn't let me actually cry. Eccentric, brilliant, worth all the accolades and more.

When at 11:13 future Emily says : but I loved him as though we were originals. This was so beautiful

This is an absolute masterpiece. A feast for the mind and eyes. Humor seamlessly blended into some of the deepest philosophical concepts is a region few dare to tread. Your channel may very well be the first I've ever subscribed to so many years ago with rejected and look forward to every bit you so graciously share with me. Thank you 💗

I never thought "I no longer fall in love with rocks" would be sooooo profound with just a bit of context.

just did the math, grandpa has been in that cube for (according to cube time) 4.7 MILLON YEARS.

"You will feel a deep longing for something you cannot quite remember"

This is too good, it’s addictive at this point. Every time I rewatch I notice a new thing, no media has done this for me in years. I will be purchasing the full blue ray set at my earliest economic convenience. I look forward to watching the next two episodes and sharing this experience with my family.

“Live well and live broadly. You are alive and living now. Now is the envy of all the dead.” - Emily (World of Tomorrow)

It's so simple but when Emily Prime said "you miss him" I started crying

"I do not have the mental or emotional capacity to deal with his loss. But sometimes, I sit in a chair late at night and quietly feel very bad." Nothing has ever described grief better.

I love how it doesn't try to be overly dramatic and still it manages to be so emotional, in a very pure manner. I'm crying but I can't say exactly why.

The mini panic at the end we all felt

Let's break down what just happened: 1) One of my favourite films of all time just got uploaded to RU-vid for Free 2) One of the best short films of our time was uploaded to RU-vid for free 3) It will now be 20x easier to introduce people to Hertzfeldt 4) This is amazing

The way clone Emily's voice cracks when she says "goodbye" crushes me every time

4:49 i love how if you are able to read young children, this sentence actually makes perfect sense, especially considering time travel paradoxes.

every time I watch this I feel like there's something new that hits so deep for me. this time it was 10:12, describing and showing how Simon left alone by his lone companion and love in this planet is inconsolable in his solitary...

This is simply genius. Its funny, scary, strange, happy, sad all in one. I love the silly moments.

The David exhibit does seem like something an artist would do if we ever perfected and legalized human cloning, this timeline of the future is so out there yet so simultaneously convincing

12:15 "I am very proud of my sadness, because it means I am more alive."

This is gut wrenching, and I'm not sure why. Some of it resonates so loudly! "This is me and Mommy walking" rips my soul because I never got to walk with my mom. She died when I was a baby. But I still have the longing for those kind of normal memories other children had, I'm old now, and in the twilight of my life, and the regret and longing still burns. I long for feelings and memories I never had, Never imagined, Never loved.

Life is perhaps the most miserable existence to ever live. It is also the only one we have. We go about our days, finding happiness to give. Yet, we can never find what we truly want when our lives first began. Innocence, happiness. Perpetual piece of mind. What a time to be alive.

I'm starting to think Don wants everyone to appreciate the present, and not squander the time that we have. Binging Hertzfeldt films on RU-vid is a meaningful investment of my finite and irretrievable minutes.

Don Hertzfeldt is one of the best short film producers of our time.

My dad adored this masterpiece and we would watch it often! ❤

This is one of my favorite films across all genre and kind. I've watched nearly all Hertzfeldt's works and am always struck by its honesty and find beauty in the simplicity of its forms.

Imagine being a civ advanced enough to mesh all minds and transfer memories and consciousness like it's nothing, as well as TIME TRAVEL but can't deal with an asteroid you probably saw coming for decades

i love the recurring joke of clone emily falling in love with random things

weirdly this is such a perfect video for dealing with loss because it makes you understand exactly why no one can or should live forever

Maybe my favorite movie ever, bought it on Vimeo but I'm super happy that many more people get to see it now 💗

FANTASTIC! [BRAVO!] Honestly, what an enjoyable experience. The idea of taking a random conversation with a kid and making, well, THIS out of it is truly imaginative! It’s good to see new things in life like this that have that fresh-content feel to it, something you don’t see really anywhere else. It was both funny and beautiful!

This was INCREDIBLE. How does this not have more views? This was better than anything else that came out the last decades

I love how both little Emily and the clone have the same mouth. Like the teeth thing stays consistent.

I am Japanese and your work is very meaningful, thoughtful, and captures the essence of life. Your videos and your talent are amazing and I am grateful to have found you and your work.

11:25 That’s the thing about the present Emily prime. You only appreciate it when it is past.. I just don’t know how MORE RELATABLE THIS COULD GET LIKE I CANT EVEN SAY HOW RELATABLE THIS IS WITH WORDS

The amount of creative ideas such as the idea of a clone being an art exhibit or the idea of imortality by cloning. Don Hertzfeldt, you are a gem.

The first Don Hertzfeldt animation I watched was Rejected something like twenty years ago. I had since watched that animation at least a hundred times. The quirky dark humor in Rejected provided quotes that I managed to regularly recite. I didn't even know that Don had a youtube channel, and now I stumble across this masterpiece. I'm pretty sure I can now die happy and begin envying the living.

I have watched this 6 times since discovering it yesterday. it's incredible and makes me feel feelings.

One of my all-time favorite short films. It's got that beautiful tinge of sci-fi cosmic nihilism, while countering it with the adorable optimism of a child. It's simply brilliant, and I'm so happy to see it free for all to see.

I'm not sure why, but watching this always calms me. I suffer from OCD and am anxious much of the time, so it helps. Thanks Don, I appreciate you for making this, and for uploading this where people can easily watch it for free! Accessible art is so important

I've loved this film for years, and have showed it to practically all my friends. Thank you for releasing this on RU-vid, Don.

You know, I never realized the guy who did the “my spoon is too big” cartoon would end up making something like this

I recall sharing "Rejected" with my animation students in New Zealand back in 1999! This one is a complete mind-melt as well but beautifully made!

One of the most formative films of my life, and subsequent afterlives. I hope they will cherish the memories as much as I did.

I had my father see this with me one night and I dont regret it. He understood in his own spiritual way that this connected us and was understanding. This movie has been the most memorable for me. Do not fret, just go with the flow. Today is still day. Do not fret the night while it is still day. And even when it's night, day will come.

Your work has absolutely changed my life more than once at this point. Watching “it’s such a beautiful day” wrecked me more than I can tell you. At the time my mother was dying of cancer. It ripped me open and at the same time made me feel like it was going to be ok. Thank you for sharing your work.

The child voice acting is actually spot on

Metal. Its nice to take a step back and breathe for a moment after watching something of that caliber.