Esther SanSan

Doggy Poo, released in 2004, is a 30-minute claymated short from Korea about a piece of dog poop. It's not just a clever name. The whole thing starts when a dog ambles into the screen and takes a dump on a dirt road. And then the dump starts to talk. What would a dog poo talk about, you ask? Nothing less than the meaning of life.

Doggy Poo is a seriously unique viewing experience. It's not like I haven't seen an animated talking poop before - South Park had that covered years ago. The truly bizarre part of Doggy Poo is the tone. It's a children's story! It totally reminded me of those old Rankin/Bass holiday themed stop-motion movies, like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Doggy Poo was based on a children's book of the same name written in 1968 by Annie Rose Godsman. I haven't read the book, but I can tell you the short is truly a sight to behold. The turd plops down, opens his eyes, and starts crying. It has little rosy cheeks, a child's voice, and an inescapable penchant for asking the big questions in life. Why am I here? What's my purpose? Why am I made of shit? That sort of thing.