Yuu Tsukada | Kevin Eskew's "Ensmoothening"
Kevin Eskew's "Ensmoothening" is a dystopian animation based on David R. Bunch's sci-fi novel "Moderan."Summary
Kevin Eskew's "Ensmoothening" (2026) depicts a dystopian world managed by an orderly, artificial system. The animation unfolds from a perspective with frames on all four sides, like looking through a window, and an abstract story develops in this closed world with no outside. The work is based on David R. Bunch's cult sci-fi short story "Moderan" (1971), and Eskew faithfully visualizes its worldview. In the latter half, the perspective flips to reveal the administrator, a cyborg covered in "new metal alloy" with only a few "flesh parts" remaining. Eskew explores animation's ability to imbue the inorganic with a unique "life," and his past works' fleshy expressiveness highlights the few remaining "flesh parts" in Moderan's world. The film will screen at the 13th New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival (November 20–24, 2026).
(Source：artscape)