The short film My First Dead Body is the first fully animated work of fiction filmed in stop motion by artist and director Nicholas F. Callaway. In it, young Max and his mother travel to visit his ailing father, who dies while they are on their way. Max, played by an upside-down orange jello, must navigate his own emotions amid a candy-candy world of indifferent adults, anonymous flans, and intrusive pop songs and music videos. The bright colors, strange music, sweets and absurdist humor attenuate the pain of witnessing Max’s grief unfold, allowing audiences of all ages to accompany him on this difficult journey.
The film boasts an original score of bizarre pop songs that appear on TVs and radios throughout the film, recorded and composed by the director.
