The animation, with other techniques, has the same ambitions.

And, with the boldness of the images, a well-structured script, music that fits perfectly with what is being told and humor that could not be otherwise, mocks of what terrifies us so much as only can do a Mexican, René Castillo, with his animated short "Down to the bone," dances a chichimeca with death. The film is soaked in traditional Mexican folklore in the best sense, recreated with great sympathy and full of winks to the contemporary. Tequila, mariachis and balaseras with a deep sense of reverence for the culture of that country and its meaning.

I discovered René with his hands in the cookie jar. Inventing plasticine actors who, in turn, play delicious characters. You could say that he directs his actors with the fingers, which I admit I deeply envy. It is as if the Creator became bored with the mud and had told René, "Well, boy, let's see what you can do with that plasticine." His work is handmade and takes care of every detail. He writes the story, directs and animes and brings out their work by force of talent in a profession that, as he says, "it is almost underground in Mexico." Self-taught, he does not hesitate to work with others to enrich his work: "The course that can take a film depends on the people who is engage in it."

The world of "Down to the bone" hides stage-tricks and effects produced in a completely handmade way, with no resort to digital animation, constantly exploring the hidden side of the camera. His characters are definetly involved in their future, without thinking twice.

The temptation is served, then, in the afterlife. If there is anything after death, please, be a Mexican cabaret like this one, where I can have a few drinks with my colleagues of destiny and a beautiful skeleton sings for me "La Llorona" in this suggestive version by Café Tacuba and Eugenia Leon's voice, that has nothing to envy to Chavela Vargas. After all, maybe to be dead is not so bad.

The death stories are also, why not, love stories. And after finding out finally how did the worm arrive at the bottom of a bottle of tequila, which I will not never forget while noticing how the last drink is more and more closer, a kiss like that, multiplied with the music and vapors of alcohol, would make me enormously happy to welcome me into the realm of the dead.

Rene Castillo Rivera is a Mexican animation artist who specializes in the technique of stop-motion, with which he has made films like "Sin Sostén" and "Down to the Bone". He has won over 50 international awards and was nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Born in Mexico City in 1969, but moved to Guadalajara when he was 19 years where he studied communications at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente. Fascinated with plasticine animation, makes with Antonio Urrutia a short animation film "Sin Sostén" (1998) that receives an Ariel for Best Animated Short, and he starts up later in the direction, co-production, co-animation and script of the short "Down to the Bones"(2001).

Down to the Bone (2001)

Mexico Color (Eastmancolor)

Produced by: Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE), Calavera Films, Roberto Rochin, Videocine, Ministry of Education, National Lottery for Public Assistance, San Pedro, National Fund for Culture and the Arts (FONCA), Institute of Technology West (ITESO), Universidad de Guadalajara, Grupo Modelo and New Art

Genre: Animation / Comedy

Length: 11 min.

Sound: Dolby Digital THX

Direction: René Castillo

Production: René Castillo Alejandra Guevara

Script: René Castillo

Animation: Luis Tellez and René Castillo

Photo: Sergio Ulloa

Art Director: Cecilia Lagos

Editing: René Castillo

Sound: Gabriel Romo and Edgar Morales

Music: Café Tacuba; arrangements: Mark Morel song "La Llorona" performed by Eugenia León

Voices: Bruno Bichir (man), Eugenia Leon (the Catrina), Daniel Cubillo, Claudia Prado, Celso García, María Urtusuástegui.

Version IN SPANISH