World of Tomorrowis a trilogy of short animatedsci-fimovies that cross the boundaries of time and space, telling the moving story of Emily Prime and the many different versions of herself that inhabit the vastness of the universe. Each movie has a unique approach to humanity’s yearning for immortality and the hardships of genuine human connections. The trilogy is bold, sharp, and heart-rending, delivering an insightful look into the daunting future that awaits the human race.
Don Hertzfeldt is one of those few artists who can address relevant matters, such as the sense of foreboding that comes from being alive, without ever losing his distinctive sense of humor.It’s Such A Beautiful Dayisanother of his masterpieces; a feature film that comprises three episodes in the life of Bill, an ordinary man trying to come to terms with his shattered mind.
However,World of Tomorrowstands out as his most ambitious work to date, taking massive proportions as it plays with the concepts of past, present, and future in a humorous fashion.
Hertzfeldt’s animation geniusenables all sorts of mind-bending stories to be told in a simple, straightforward style that encompasses both his animation style and talent for storytelling. It’s actually surprising how many emotions and expressions he can convey with his hand-drawn stick figures, let alone how well this minimalist animation style fits with the sudden outbursts of color and real-life imagery he inserts in the narrative — all distinguishable trademarks of his experimental approach.
World of Tomorrowenables the viewers to contemplate the bleak future of humanity through the innocent eyes of a child, Emily Prime, and the detached perception of adult Emily’s third-generation clone, guiding the child throughout 227 years in the future. “Be careful, it’s easy to get lost in memories” is a phrase uttered multiple times throughout the films, constantly reminding viewers that the only time forgotten is the future. In this universe, immortality is achieved through preserving memories, be it through a series of clones of oneself or through backing up one’s subconsciousness into a cube.
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According to Hertzfeldt’s mind, the end of humanity appears to be a gradual process rather than a single definitive blow. Adult Emily seems to encapsulate all of his concerns about the bleak future we’re all heading towards.World of Tomorrow’s conceptual future is a time when everything is possible, but nothing works as intended, for no one truly remembers how things used to be (even though they have access to every moment of human history).
The remnants of humanity try desperately to take hold of their old selves, but a memory is only a memory when it is escorted by a sensation. The scent of the sea, the touch of hot pavement on one’s bare feet, or perhaps the electrifying charge of a stolen kiss — you remove that, and all that’s left of a memory is a fragment dispersed in time.
The firstWorld of Tomorrowis all about the search for one’s last bits of humanity when all life seems to have faded away. It takes the viewers through each step of adult Emily’s journey of self-discovery, from her withdrawal to the lonesome corners of the universe to her process of embracing the inexplicable feelings that come with opening yourself to themysteries of existence— sometimes there will be burning love, and sometimes there will be unparalleled sadness.
On the other hand,World of Tomorrow: The Burden of Other People’s Thoughtsis all about the loss of identity; how unreachable dreams and unmade promises are often more genuine than settling on the path that seems right. Finally,World of Tomorrow: Episode Three: The Absent Destinations of David Primeexplores the oppressive need to erase fragments of ourselves in order to make space for new experiences and thoughts.
In this context, eachWorld of Tomorrowmovie seems to say we are constantly changing, but, essentially, we can never lose that part of ourselves that makes us who we are. Be it the third, fourth, fifth, or sixth generation of Emily, they will always be looking for themselves and stopping by at the same moment in time: childhood.
What Can We Learn From Emily Prime
At some point in the firstWorld of Tomorrow, Adult Emily says, “That’s the thing about the present. You only appreciate it when it’s the past.” That might be the perfect quote to summarize thebest sci-fi movie of 2015and how well it connects to a masterpiece published over a century ago, Proust’sIn Search of Lost Time. To this day, his ideas still resonate with younger generations, and effectively represent the basis of Hertzfeldt’sWorld of Tomorrowtrilogy.
There’s no denying that time destroys everything, and humanity is and will always be a hostage to it. However, there’s a reason whyWorld of Tomorrowseems to orbit around the sweet and innocent Emily Prime, and that is the answer to the desperate longing that permeates Hertzfeldt’s trilogy.
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We are constantly looking for the child within us. In Proust’s daunting, 4000-page-long novel, his protagonist looks for a way to retrieve the self-destructive path Time leaves behind by pursuing love, a place in high society, and recognition as an artist. None of these things come close to fulfilling his goal until he realizes the only way to get around time is to recover the person he was as a child.
InWorld of Tomorrow, it’s to Emily Prime that her clones must turn to feel alive again, constantly searching for the long-gone innocence of a vibrant child who regards every little thing as a mystery worth seeing. There’s no sign of melancholy or longing in Emily Prime, for she never looks back. Everything is new and exciting, as all things should ever be.Not Currently Available to Stream or Purchase
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