Lo Lo Love
Besides having a captivating title, Lo Lo Love is a short film by Vladislav Dubkov, an experienced animator responsible for all aspects of the production, from story to animation and outcome. The plot follows two people since their formative years; the story has a substantial scope as it covers the pivotal moments of their lives and sends them to the afterlife in the end. The guy and girl meet at the age of five, and until then, the exciting device used is the split-screen and black & white picture. The transition in colour happens through an exciting touch that draws a resemblance to Michelangelo’s famous fresco painting.
Dubkov has invested immensely in the subtext and creativity. Therefore, the audience might want to pause the film on several occasions in order to grasp the context and investigate the framework and composition. Moreover, Dubkov’s unique sensibility and style result in lively animation that surpasses the traditional technique conventions and all preconceived knowledge we might have on what animation possesses in the first place.
As the story progresses, we witness the couple's essential development and growth phases. The boy becomes a man because of his muscles, and the girl a woman given her distinguishable features, figuratively speaking. But then marriage comes, and their lives change. So does the animation that aims to enhance the fact that their sweet dates and romantic escapisms are gone; now, it's about responsibilities when the first child is born, then the second, the third. Thus, there's a constant – the cosplay costumes and enthusiasm for the superhero genre.
The auteur's costume design is not eccentric, yet it's strikingly present in every frame, including the later parts when the family grows in numbers. The costumes' representation and dramaturgical role in the story provide Lo Lo Love with authentic traits that haven’t been designed or composited in such outstanding artistic work.
In addition, the closing shot makes the story more complex; therefore, it requires us to watch it all over. Dubkov ends the film climactically, and as the end credits start to roll, we feel that it’s necessary to watch Lo Lo Love over again. It might sound cliché to say it, but every watching experience tells us something new about the concept, framework and characters, all supported by the beautiful yet discreet song by Sacha Ende, which inclines the story to get rid of any need for dialogue – the soundtrack speaks transparently.
With all being stated with great enthusiasm, the review concludes that Lo Lo Love is an exciting and genuine short film. Vladislav Dubkov proves he is a name to remember in the most sophisticated genre. In particular, with this film, it's not a coincidence that it has won many awards and recognitions worldwide.