I have been recently researching on the internet about strange and unexplained archeological discoveries, and for some reason my Youtube 'recommended play list' included this bizarre 4 minute, 50 second animated short from Gobelins called Mehua. Needless to say but I gave in to curiosity and watched it.
It's a rather bleak and macabre piece of adult animation, and although they don't say, one assumes that the civilisation is meant to represent that of the Aztecs of Southern America. With rather atmospheric background music and dialogue spoken in an unknown (to me at least) language, it gives the film an air of authenticity, despite knowing that it is indeed fantasy.
It tells the story of a girl who is being prepared for a ritual human sacrifice. She stands on the steps of the pyramidal structure in a long line of girls all awaiting the same bloody fate, and the girl in front of her and she share a moment of connection and fear. Arriving at the top of this structure they see a priest carrying out his murders and there is much blood. It is as the knife is about to be plunged into the body of her new-found ally that she reacts and picking up a flambeau kills the guards and wounds the priest. Just when it all seems to be going right for these two young ladies though - as they channel ancient magic and serpents start to appear, so too do more guards, and the film, rather disappointingly, ends. No resolution and no explanation.
It's odd, and almost predictable, but somehow you get the impression that it is merely a trailer for the full length epic telling the tale of Mehua and her companion as they become famous female warriors, battling evil across the countryside.... or maybe that's just an even bigger fantasy than the actual film itself!
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 3/12/19
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