Dimensions of Dialogue

Dimensions of Dialogue (Czech: Možnosti dialogu, lit.: Possibilities of Dialogue) is a 1983 Czechoslovak animated short film directed by Jan Švankmajer. It is 12 minutes long and created with stop motion.

Dimensions of Dialogue
Directed by	Jan Švankmajer
Written by	Jan Švankmajer
Cinematography	Vladimír Malík
Edited by	Helena Lebdušková
Music by	Jan Klusák
Distributed by	Krátký Film Praha
Release date	January 25, 1983 (1983-01-25) [1]
Running time	12 minutes
Country	Czechoslovakia

Plot

The animation is divided into three sections. Objective Dialogue (Dialog věcný) shows Arcimboldo-like heads gradually reducing each other to bland copies; Passionate Dialogue (Dialog vášnivý) shows a clay man and woman who dissolve into one another sexually, then quarrel and reduce themselves to a frenzied, boiling pulp; and Exhaustive Dialogue (Dialog vyčerpávající) consists of two elderly clay heads who extrude various objects on their tongues (toothbrush and toothpaste; shoe and shoelaces, etc.) and intertwine them in various combinations.^[2]

Reception

Terry Gilliam selected the film as one of the ten best animated films of all time.^[3]

Awards

• Annecy International Animated Film Festival 1983 – Won Grand Prix
• Berlin International Film Festival 1983 – Won Golden Bear for Best Short Film, C.I.D.A.L.C. Award (Honorable Mention)