The Substitute (Ersatz/Surogat)
(Animation 1961 Oscar-winning 1962)
A comic story about a man who uses inflatable substitutes for everyday objects. A satire about how modern man complicates his already complicated life.
„Ersatz” is a 1961 Croatian experimental animation, a satirical commentary on consumer culture and modernity, portraying a city of robots who are all identical, controlled by consumerism and obsession with technology. The film was made in Yugoslavia and was the first animation from an Eastern European country to win an Oscar. Director Vukotic created the film using a unique cut-out animation technique, which involved using paper and cardboard to create the characters and sets. The film’s message about conformity and mass production still resonates today and it is considered a landmark in animation history.
