Playing God (dir. Matteo Burani)

By: Adam Freed

In the book of Genesis 1:27 God creates mankind in his own image.  As the story goes, God places his creations in paradise and blesses them with free will.  The outcome of this chain of events is alleged to have resulted in modern existence, as well as the existence of original sin.  In the gothic stop-motion animated world of writer and director Matteo Burani there is far more interest in the story of the created, than that of the creator.  Burani’s grizzly 8 minute short film Playing God explores the process of creation of a malleable wire and clay armature known only as #815.  The entirety of the film takes place on the modeling table of the creator, a man whose hands carry the weight of his character.  The original sin of #815, if there is one, is that for a few fleeting moments, as he stares into the pale blue eyes of his creator, he feels special and unique, passing judgement on the disfigured and imperfect former subjects that surround him.  Those feelings of pride and uniqueness quickly lead to the root of Burani’s point, that despite the plague of hubris, when all social and economic trappings are stripped away, there is very little that separates humans from one another.  Playing God is exquisitely detailed by stop-motion artist Arianna Gheller, even to the edge of grotesquerie.  Burani’s brief film is pointed and poignant, like a work of art that may adorn the walls of an Italian museum.

Target Score 8/10 - Playing God is a gothic animated experience that forces its audience to question the nature of existence, ego, and purpose.  Writer and director Matteo Burani uses his dark canvas to create a dark  and memorable experience. 

Playing God is included in Movie Archer's coverage of the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival.