Tabula Rasa means 'Blank Slate'. Perhaps the creators of this stylish animation are referring to the empty landscape in which the story is set.
We see a robot in a sparse, alien, post-apocalyptic world.
The creator explains: “The basic idea was to tell a simple story about the emptiness of the human mind and the slavery of our own system which makes us artificial – though sometimes, by sacrificing ourselves for simple and ordinary things, we can make them magnificent.”
In this animation, the robot sacrifices himself to allow a small plant to receive sunlight. The plant flourishes and grows into a magnificent tree.
Teaching Ideas
- Write vivid descriptions of the alien world the robot inhabits.
- Discuss why the robot is doing what he does. What motivates him?
- Write the story from a first- or third-person perspective.
- Imagine the events that led up to the start of the animation. How did the robot get here? Is he the only being left alive on Earth?
- Link the story with science topics such as space, planets or the environment.
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