# The Physics of Sorrow

The Physics of Sorrow (French: Physique de la tristesse) is a Canadian animated short film, directed by Theodore Ushev and released in 2019. The film explores themes of memory, time, displacement, and identity through the fragmented reflections of a nameless protagonist who recalls his childhood in post-communist Bulgaria and his subsequent emigration to Canada.

## Summary

Based on the novel by Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov, the film tells the story of a man reminiscing about his childhood as he struggles to understand the meaning and purpose of his life.
The narrative of The Physics of Sorrow is nonlinear, fragmented, and dreamlike, much like the workings of human memory. It follows the introspective journey of a nameless protagonist, voiced by Rossif Sutherland, as he reflects on his life and the idea of feeling trapped, much like a mythological figure from ancient stories—the Minotaur. This mythical creature, trapped in a labyrinth, serves as a central metaphor for the protagonist's own feelings of isolation, alienation, and confusion.

### Childhood and Family

The protagonist begins by recalling his childhood in Bulgaria, where he was born and raised in a post-communist society. His father was emotionally distant, and his family’s history, like the history of the country, is marked by loss, hardship, and displacement. The film dives into personal memories of family meals, childhood adventures, and early encounters with existential questions. The connection with his grandfather plays a significant role in shaping the protagonist’s identity. The grandfather’s life, shaped by wars and political unrest, parallels the protagonist's own inner turmoil.

### Displacement and Emigration

As the protagonist grows older, he moves to Canada in search of a new life, like many emigrants fleeing political and economic hardships. This new life brings him no closer to happiness. Instead, he feels increasingly alienated and lost in his new environment, cut off from his roots, family, and sense of belonging. His disconnection from his past and homeland deepens, and he becomes like the Minotaur, trapped in his own mental labyrinth of sorrow and nostalgia.
The film continually shifts between the protagonist’s memories of Bulgaria and his life in Canada, showcasing the sense of dislocation experienced by many immigrants. Through poetic narration, he reflects on the cyclical nature of time and the ways memories blend into one another, losing coherence but never losing their emotional power.

### The Minotaur Metaphor

The film repeatedly returns to the myth of the Minotaur, a half-human, half-bull creature imprisoned in a labyrinth. The protagonist sees himself as a modern-day Minotaur, wandering lost through his own personal labyrinth of memories, time, and sorrow. He struggles to find meaning and purpose in a world where he feels out of place, much like the creature trapped without an escape. This metaphor extends to the broader immigrant experience of feeling trapped between worlds, neither fully belonging to their homeland nor to their adopted country.

### Reflections on Time and Memory

The film meditates on the fluidity of time. Memories are depicted as fleeting, overlapping, and sometimes unreliable. The protagonist laments how moments from the past are both painfully distant yet omnipresent, haunting his everyday life. He also reflects on the concept of entropy and the inevitable decay of everything, from physical objects to human relationships. This reflection on time is reinforced by the Minotaur myth, where time loops and memories entrap him.
In the final moments, the protagonist seems to reach a bittersweet acceptance of his sorrow, recognizing that while the labyrinth of life may be inescapable, the exploration of it—the collection of memories and experiences—is what makes life meaningful, even in its sadness.

## Production

The film was animated entirely through encaustic painting, an old artistic technique involving the melting of pigmented beeswax. It was narrated by Rossif Sutherland, and features a smaller voice appearance by his father, Donald Sutherland.

## Release and reception

The film premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received an honourable mention from the Best Canadian Short Film award jury. It also received a Special Mention for Best Canadian Short Film at the 2019 Vancouver International Film Festival, and was named Best Canadian Film at the 2019 Sommets du cinéma d'animation.

### Accolades

In December 2019, the film was named to TIFF's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list for short films. It was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2019, and won the Prix Iris for Best Animated Short Film at the 22nd Quebec Cinema Awards in 2020. The Physics of Sorrow also won a Golden Sheaf Award for Best Animation at the 2020 Yorkton Film Festival. In 2020 the film won "the Annecy Cristal" (le Cristal d'Annecy) at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.