# Can you identify this animated short film?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-animated-short-film/90018>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 27, 2001, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-animated-short-film/90018 "2001-10-27T23:03:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-animated-short-film/90018/1 "2001-10-27T23:03:21Z")

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I remember being at a short film show in Santa Cruz several years ago and seeing this clip… there’s a platform suspended in space with several people standing on it, and a box of treasure. Everyone wants the treasure so they push each other off the platform, which tilts around as they move closer to the edges. Eventually only one guy is left, but the treasure is on the other side where he can never reach it.

I believe it was done with stop-motion. Have any Dopers seen it? What’s it called and is it possible to get a copy?

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**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-animated-short-film/90018/2 "2001-10-27T23:08:07Z")

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That’s [“Balance”](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0096880), from Germany’s Lauenstein bros.

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**Author:** ![TheeGrumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-animated-short-film/90018/3 "2001-10-28T00:07:38Z")

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Thanks for the ID, Larry. I saw that so long ago and was very impressed. And thanks 2001 for reminding me. 🙂

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**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-animated-short-film/90018/4 "2001-10-28T00:47:30Z")

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Great film. It won an Oscar in 1989 and was featured in Spike & Mike’s touring Festival of Animation. It’s also available on one of their video compilations (_Classic Festival of Animation, Volume 5_)

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**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-animated-short-film/90018/5 "2001-10-28T02:19:51Z")

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Yeah, I saw it courtesy of _Spike & Mike_, bless 'em.