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

He just wanted lemons

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

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!!

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...

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

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.

"We are all connected"

This looks fantastic.

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

Miss piggy looks so cute

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.

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. 🙏

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

hauntingly beautiful

one of the greatest fuckin animations ive ever seen

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

Rodoscoping could never look more beautiful at times like this

Amazing art style.

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

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 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 life gives you lemons.....

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

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

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.

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

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

i searched for the scp but found this masterpiece 👍

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

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

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:

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.

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

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.

all that shading! this must have taken forever to animate

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

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.

This is phenomenal.

the motion and movement feels smooth

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

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 KZfaq 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.

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

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

I did not see anything beautiful like this

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

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

Charming, and fantastic POVs!

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

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

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

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

Better than Zootopia

This is wonderfully animated, honestly perfect to me

I love the art style. Anthropomorphic comicbook rotoscoping is something I haven't seen before

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

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

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

Incredible artwork.

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

I can't help but come back every few years

Magnifique !! BRAVO !!

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

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

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

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

The pig is so cute

1 of the best art i had ever seen

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

I love how this is animated!

Animation is just wonderful.

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

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

Brilliant in every possible way

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

So grainy yet so smooth!

Everything is just put so well together .

This Is art!

this is a gem ❤

This is phenomenal!

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

Wow the animation is astonishing in every way.

This arts amazing! Thank you.

Such beautiful work of art.

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

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.

The perspectives are amazing.

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

The scene of that death was the most haunting piece of art i've ever seen.

that is stunning.

very nice animation :)

The images after the death scene, the bones, body parts and random imagery was disturbing, yall really capture the true fear and horror of death

I'm in love with this shortfilm.

Extremely fascinating to watch.

I always came into this video everyday just to see ruby singing

Simply amazing

This is really good animation. Very satisfying.