An old mobile freaks out when Granny, its owner, replaces it with a smart phone. In an access of rage the old piece of technology will try to put out its adversary. Jihyeon Bae’s short animation ‘Flipped Out‘ can suffer various interpretations. One of it might be referring to the inner instinct triggered in us in the face of abandonment which is always a source of frustrations. People easily fall victim to envy, a feeling that prevents them from scrutinising for the real cause that lies beyond their sentiments – which would make them so much more wiser.
A second message beyond Jihyeon Bae’s film is about the ‘resistance to change’. Old technology is replaced by new simply because the new one is better. But applying this in human dimension one can identify the raw attachment on things caused by habit. New things and methods tend to be dismissed on the pretext that they are un-useful but it is in fact just the man’s need to evolve that will lead to new inventions – more performant, more beautiful.
A third interpretation, and the best in our opinion, can be linked to one’s own awareness about their own value and abilities. Whenever our service gets exchanged for another one’s we should always take a step back and analyse why that has happened. It is easy to crave for revenge but instead one should try and look into the reasons of why things happen the way they do. There is much to learn from such a happening and at a closer look, understanding why one thing is preferred to another will make much emotional logic and might prove revealing. One can only assimilate so much in a lifetime and the old will have to make place for the new, all for the better of evolution.
Ultimately, Jihyeon Bae’s ‘Flipped Out’ can stand as an excellent debate on the jealousy and grudging between new and old generations too. The film’s value lies not in the sensational spectacle it offers but in the profoundness with which it looks into the matters it tackles.
Concise and enjoyable nonetheless, ‘Flipped Out’ is an animation that will cause much reflection to the viewer.
TMFF RATING:
