The Mechanical Dancer (12:32)
IMDb; official website; Vimeo; YouTube

Caution: spoilers.

This 2020 short film was presented by Alter in 2024.

The film was inspired by 1920s German expressionist films, particularly "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (which I haven't seen, but would like to). Dialogue is all on text cards, the visuals are sepia-toned, and the audio is symphonic music. The animation almost looks like stop-motion, which I really dig. It's a gorgeous film. As for the story, it is shown in three acts. There's an old man who had created a mechanical dancer for a stage show, but one night during a performance, there's a malfunction, and the dancer falls apart. Then the creator sees a flyer for another show, starring "die tanzende puppe" (The Dancing Doll), and he sends his assistant to steal the doll. But it turns out it's a real dancer in a mask. The assistant is surprised, but kidnaps her anyway. However, when he learns of the horrifying fate his employer has in store for her, he has a change of heart, and risks his life to help her escape.

Well, I feel like I've said too much. But it really is an amazing homage to 1920s silent films. I highly recommend it.