We’re proud to present a new entry in Cartoon Brew’s Student Animation Festival: Peace One Day by Phoebe Halstead and Angie Phillips of London’s Kingston University. The film was made in support of the non-profit organization Peace One Day, to raise awareness for The International Day of Peace on September 21st. Two people battle each other as civilizations are built and torn down around them. Their uniforms–sometimes recognizable and sometimes abstracted into colorful shapes and forms–change at a frenzied pace, but the combatants and violent behavior remains ever the same. The powerful anti-war statement is heightened by Halstead and Phillips’ strong visual concept that smartly ties together violence throughout history and geography.
Continue reading for comments from the filmmakers Phoebe May Halstead and Angie Phillips:

THE IDEA
Conflict feels inevitable given our history. Human nature seems an unstoppable force pushing people into war. Tectonic plates collide and two men are forced to fight. Costumes flash up and change, symbolizing time passing and the multitude of individuals involved in war. We wanted to communicate the fact that historical and cultural forces push people into fighting. Peace One Day gives the individual a chance to pause, reflect and see the negative impact of their violence. Once the individual realizes that fighting is unnecessary they might stop for good!