Jibaro
Jibaro rides the edge perfectly between fantastic realism and absurd surrealism. Alberto Mielgo and his team have made something incredible.
A fascinating inside look into Jibaro, the incredible animated short from Alberto Mielgo. I highly suggest watching the actual film before you dive into the inside look. Beware, though, that it’s a bit disturbing.
“Jibaro is like a brutal disaster.” ~ Director Alberto Mielgo
What a ride! Jibaro, the last episode from season three of Love, Death + Robots, is unlike anything I’ve ever watched. I’m a big fan of the series and short-form animation, but Jibaro blew my mind.
Its frenetic pace, quick jump-cuts, and wild motion design could be off-putting for some, and there are some disturbing and extremely violent stretches, but I found the whole thing beautiful. A brutal disaster indeed. The model design, art direction, sound direction, motion design, etc., is fantastic and pushes the envelope of what animation can do.
It’s realistic-ish, living in an uncanny valley with the characters, but seemingly done very purposefully. You want to relate to the characters and the story of this toxic relationship if that’s what it is, but only just enough. Jibaro rides the edge perfectly between fantastic realism and absurd surrealism. Alberto Mielgo and his team have made something incredible.