Dissonance | A Short Film by Till Nowak

Click to activate the English or the German subtitles
Who owns reality? Who defines where fantasy begins? A genius musician lives a lonely life in a surreal, floating world. He plays the piano every day in a gigantic concert hall, but there is nobody to listen. One day his animated world collapses and reality breaks out. He misses his daughter and wants to visit her, but her mother doesn‘t allow it. The film seamlessly transforms from an animation into a live-action drama, reflecting the journey from the psychotic mind of a poor street musician into the real world. He only has one wish: To play for his daughter, which he is not allowed to visit any more.
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CAST & CREW
Director: Till Nowak
Cast: Mirko Thiele, Klaus Zehrfeld, Hannah Heine, Roland Schupp, Nina Petri
Music: Frank Zerban, Olaf Taranczewski
Year: 2015
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AWARDS
Best Animation (Oscar qualifying), Aspen Shortfest
Don Quixote Award, Krakow Film Festival

[@Elixear]

As a musician, and as a human being, I cry each time I see it. It's the most beautiful 15 min film I've ever seen in my entire life. So powerful to me.

[@timmytoms__]

Me too 😭

[@bandfromtheband9445]

It hit me exactly the same way!

[@NestorParedes]

It's the most beautiful 15 minutes and 16 seconds film I've ever seen.

[@yuracandoit9431]

Yeahhh

[@juneseghni]

I had the same reaction too-glad I'm not alone

[@cheechunlimited]

The utter scale of Till Nowak's short films is utterly magical. My brain can't process the universes he makes.

[@jayrodgalaus6243]

it's great that dissonance applies to both music and psychology, and this video portrays both! good one, animator

[@TheTyphoon365]

why doesn't this have millions of views

[@robertvermillion6816]

There aren't, I'm afraid, anywhere near that many people who could appreciate it.

[@somethingwithbungalows]

Idk. It should!

[@incubrian]

just watch mainstream news and pop television and that will answer your question quickly.

[@camgamer94]

TheTyphoon365 YES

[@asterionse4769]

It’s weird that the trailer for it has 190.000 views and the actual video only 95.000, I guess it’s because it was never uploaded to the till Nowak channel, but yeah it deserves much more views

[@johnsanborn4364]

This was the best bizzare and abstract short film I have ever seen. I fell in love with the old man's rotating round piano and said to myself I have got to get me one of those. Lol.

[@jer103]

There is just something when the overall visuals, visual effects, sound engineering, and music all comes together perfectly.

[@glenduncan4050]

More genius! So beautifully and tenderly captures the tragedy of mental illness. Absolutely BRILLIANT!

[@obrey__]

Trainspush Through he describes the artistic style as tender; not the content.

[@TangoDown229]

Absolutely beyond anything words could ever inspire to convey to the human spirit. This video is far beyond anything I have ever seen before! BRAVO!

[@ItsLTF]

I cannot believe this is the first time I’m seeing this piece after seeing “The Centrifuge Brain Project” years ago. Till Nowak is a genius. Absolutely brilliant and captivating work. I’m in tears. 🙌🏾❤️✨

[@fedorindoukaev3361]

This is probably one of top 3 short films I ever saw, absolute masterpiece in all respects. This video should have 9 million views, not 9 thousand.

[@dallincurtis901]

Did anyone see the blueprints from Till's other film, "The Centrifuge Brain Project" at 10:00?

[@rasmuswestergren6221]

Wow, that was attentively done! I have seen both films several times, but never noted that detail :0

[@markronaldcesar9834]

Dandelion

[@WingedEternitys]

_The Wedding Cake._ Nice catch.

[@Kaslidaughterofchaos]

@@WingedEternitys uh no that’s the dandelion in the bottom left?

[@de1168]

Maybe this is a prequel?

[@PatDaliki]

I am absolutely in love the intro track, beyond beautiful. Really adds to the immersive feeling of this film.

[@umop-episdn5112]

I’d love to hear people’s interpretations of the last scene. I’m not sure what it means that it’s the stuffed animal guy talking to kids at the end.

[@walrusesareawesome7631]

I feel like it's the musician talking to a bunch of kids about the events of the film a few months later. He mentions that it'll take a lot of time for [his mental illness] to completely fade, and this is probably a bit left over. The difference being that now, when experiencing this, he imagines himself as the stuffed creature rather than "himself", as is evidenced by the creature walking in a more urban road cutting to him riding on a bus (?) in a more urban place. I'm not so sure on what him being the creature means so much, but I imagine it's good, considering how his imagined sphere city dissappear's as he rides past some buildings.

[@timmytoms__]

This absolutely deserves an award!! Im crying!

[@morlockrevolt]

How do you not have more subscribers?! Everything you put out is brilliant.

[@timmytoms__]

Yeah right sir

[@cement_consumer]

its not for everyone

[@bandfromtheband9445]

This film is incredibly heartbreaking and brilliant! It's amazing, and the music is so beautiful......

[@crowmigration8245]

A bit too abstract for me, but I loved it from an artistic standpoint. Especially how the cgi hair moved and the rotating piano / giant impossible building.

[@xenura]

Bro I just randomly come across this and watched the whole thing, very very well done! Loved it

[@marchanditinerant4033]

I come back to watch it from time to time and each time i'm sorry to see that so few people could appreciate it, in a world where people consume fast and faster but i can say with certainty that many people love your work and with good reason. I wanted to leave a comment this time maybe just to say that i was here.

[@andresbenot8457]

This is absolutely brilliant, a masterpiece. You deserve more recognition.

[@rickshearer]

Absolutely mesmerizing creativity, production and story. Outstanding work!!

[@koketsok1513]

this deserves more views,on a side note my film class loved this

[@justWaKs]

¡Sin palabras!; Arte. Espacio, tiempo, nosotros, la mente y los seres con quienes compartimos. La música muy bonita, las animaciones, ver a Dobby ahí, todo, me alegro no haber leído la sinopsis antes. Masterpiece. Todas las estrellas

[@alexnather7614]

This deserves an award

[@prioritalpanic629]

No, it deserves *several* awards

[@oOKakarotOo]

man i still love this video, i rewatch this every now and then, its so simple and touching

[@Bibhavisual]

How is dat simple? I dont get the storyline?!! Like the stuffed animal talking at the end of the scene? What is dat mean? There has to be an explanation to this video! Its too abstract im so confused?!!

[@wugirl55]

I don’t know about simple….. makes you really “feel” though, doesn’t it?

[@FullFledged2010]

I bet if pianists started playing that kind of moody spacey sounds more people would listen ;) I know i would!

[@Yombi.]

I'm sure there are artist who play like that, but for the majority of listeners dissonant music is uncomfortable and therefore not very popular

[@FullFledged2010]

@@Yombi. How is this type of piano music uncomfortable? Its beautiful 🙌

[@wiener_process]

@@FullFledged2010 There are indeed composers whose music sounds at least somewhat like this.

[@thatotherandrew_]

@@Yombi. I definitely wouldn't call this music dissonant - but anyways, 3 years too late to possibly suggest minimalist music - especially John Adams!

[@sbroggie]

Wow. How does this not have a million views? Excellent. Beautiful.

[@龍の歯医者-n9e]

現在の表現技術を充分に生かしたファンタジー作品だと思う。 I think it is a fantasy work that makes full use of current expression technology.

[@BadrROUSSAFI]

This is art, this is deep. Thank you.

[@whiteydiamond]

A near perfect blend of animation and live action! This concept is fantastic!

[@MatriartNet]

Bravo Maestro!!! So moving.

[@vincentssoul2369]

Art out of the Family Drama, ...his wanted to play for someone he loved 2:00, totally brilliant work, Thank you

[@mho...]

wunderschön , ich bin sprachlos! und hab mich nie besser gefühlsmäßig am boden gefühlt ;)

[@generalkenobi4320]

the animator could have easily been hired for inception or something....this looks absolutley incredeble😱

[@ninachuikova9945]

Ich sitze und kann nicht aufhören zu schauen. Für mich als Deutschlerner ist das ein sehr interessantes Video.

[@exorswitch1018]

I found another Hidden Gem that deserves millions of views 👽👌

[@elsandstorm8997]

I didn't know how much I needed to see this, someone on Reddit linked it to me cause I made a meme with a bird house that looked like the Dissonance sphere.

[@UnanimousDelivers]

Looked this up on WIkipedia "Rendering took a full year with five computers running around the clock" .... damn.

[@Elliot88088]

Dang bro

[@nilulu4244]

thank you for sharing such a beautifull film you guys never dissapoint.

[@nekulez]

Really wish there was sheet music and completed versions of the pieces

[@panamarasta]

I wish I could have the subtitles to fully appreciate this film

[@KurzFilmAgentur]

You can activate the subtitles in the player!

[@panamarasta]

Thank you so much!!

[@Crumphorn]

Very beautiful and evocative though, to me, incomprehensible.

[@abhinavkatore1835]

Mind blowing 😧😮

[@SusanAmberBruce]

So surprised in a good way, bravo

[@cosmologicalturtle9528]

Utterly enchanting

[@anaflynn1075]

Absolutely amazing

[@yeahrightbear8883]

Beautiful work

[@sabrinaafrinsimi6964]

This is so brilliant :o

[@moncerrathamaya5492]

I don’t understand any of it but it’s so amazing and it made me cry

[@tomguder]

Danke! Schöne Grüße aus Leipzig.

[@poko9562]

I need the Piano st sjsjsj you don’t know how addicted i am to it

[@skulldar]

I want it too

[@poko9562]

Can’t believe it’s been a year what

[@arsonist_garfield4576]

@@poko9562 me neither

[@poko9562]

💀

[@MM-we5qb]

Masterpiece

[@asterionse4769]

It’s weird that the trailer for it has 190.000 views and the actual video only 95.000, I guess it’s because it was never uploaded to the till Nowak channel

[@oOKakarotOo]

this is beautiful

[@vickyy.7544]

These are my type of films :)

[@a-ragdoll]

4:24 we need a full version of this

[@freelancer391]

I this was amazing work! Only missing part I see as far as animation (don’t know if it was intentional) is the reflection in the windows as his head/body figure does not match the reflection at 7:35 -7:43. You all did great!

[@archaicoutlaw]

Freelance Productions I interpreted that scene as realism versus fantasy. Maybe how he sees himself and his fantasy world versus how we see reality. The two started bleeding together as his version of reality was shaken. When the police officer made him leave, and after the doctor gave him his diagnosis. But in the end, as we saw that his little companion wasn't merely make believe, that the reality within the composer was just real as anything else. That's just my take. I could be wrong lol, but it was brilliant and beautiful.

[@freelancer391]

Oh alright! Just didn't know thanks! @archaic_outlaw

[@miniesarah01]

I think it's intentional as well. We could even wonder what does he see in this reflection ?

[@anonymouswhite7957]

@@archaicoutlaw A bit late, but according to the interview with Till Nowak you are correct. Instead of reality being intruded with fantasy, he wants to view fantasy as the world and reality as an intruder. Nobody understand what the pianist experienced in the spherical dissonance, and at the end of the day we all had no right to dictates what is real or not for others. I see similarities in umwelt (manga), caldera (short animation), and stonehearst asylum (movie). We often call people who rambles about demons, aliens, etc. as mad, but really our own perception is none the saner. Magenta as a color doesn’t really exist (essentially it’s our way to differentiate “green” wavelengths in nature), our eyes sometimes skip time to fill in information (saccadic masking), our perception is lagged for about 80 milliseconds (technically our consciousness live in the past, rather than the present). This is the majority of the (“normal”) people, we also have people that can see more colors (tetrachromats), experience connected senses (synesthesia), colorblind, can’t feel pain nor sadness, etc. Everyone have their own bubble in which only their perception based reality exist, and currently we have nothing to experience each other bubbles. Dissonance is aimed to make viewers rethink their own reality, and realize the subjectivity of it.

[@sKitZoBonKa]

That piano is absolutely amazing

[@MrBasilides]

Impresionante!

[@shome9790]

bravo

[@JonnesTT]

I don't get it tbh. Does a spheric dissonance exist? Is it actually a mental illness or a musical concept? And wtf does that end mean?

[@elsandstorm8997]

I think the ending means when he got to see his daughter and she gave him the plushie, a d she played the song, he could finally move on.

[@whiter4bbit930]

I kinda thought it was him loosing grips on reality and subduing to some form of mental illness

[@billyraybar]

Brilliant

[@MrArmoredSoul]

Is there sheet misic for the piece at the beginning?

[@pierrez1984]

Just WOW

[@michaelpilon9657]

Very intruiging, I have subscribed and passed on thelink Mikein Ottawa Canada

[@Zalidia]

I... I don't understand what I just watched.

[@Jungkith]

Why did he stopped making videos?

[@GloomyFish]

Well he works with Marvel now so he's probably busy with that

[@kairotheprotogen514]

ONCORE!

[@btd6engineer]

this was so fucking good. it was life changing.

[@retrospectivasmovies7558]

10/10

[@ramonmyers317]

This needs a piano tutorial!!!!!

[@mattwright2954]

Hey yo!!!!! 👍

[@вячеславамритин]

новак .... вы из чехии ?

[@basstassthick2877]

4:20 My god, that was epic piece of music ! blaze it...

[@ramonmyers317]

I need to learn this playing style!!!! anyone?

[@erunstoppable1174]

If somebody who speaks that language can you translate to English?

[@jodimichelleschoenherr]

✝️❤️🖌️🌹🎨🖼️

[@grieferoncamera4600]

i need this music

[@nestednorway]

👌🏻

[@notdefined5768]

music?

[@tombfreerunning5761]

Wow

[@williamdong4589]

wow. what is real?

[@marco77ar]

I’ve only shown (showed),....I’m even questioning that. To one other person.

[@zab95]

15:04

[@Paullittos]

portuguese subtitles please

[@اٌحٍمِدّآلَدِۄسُيْ]

مقطع يجيب لك المرض النفسي

[@axea8]

صدقت فيلم مدته بس 15 دقيقه قدرو يوصلولك شعور مريض الانفصام وايش المشاكل اللي تواجهه

[@LaggyGust]

I Didn't Understand... Pretty cool tho

[@thr33wisemonks]

Hmmm

[@deano43]

Inception anyone?

[@yaroslav6280]

Плохо что нет русских субтитров...

[@hatsunedustin7793]

Aight where the soundtrack. I need it now

[@de1168]

Absolute Fucking Masterpiece

[@dallincurtis901]

Yeah, I saw that, nice try xD

[@jellyfox675]

No

[@ginnis_14]

Auetiss yes

[@lukasgehtdichgarnichtsan7906]

From my point of view, this is way too abstract. I really dislike highly abstract, symbolic movies like these. But the technical skills are impressive

[@galactushero]

denke die runde Welt repräsentiert alles, was der Hauptfigur wichtig ist - der Rest unten ist einfach nur fremd - am Ende muss die Hauptfigur in der Fremde leben, weil man ihr alles, was sie liebt, nicht lässt und es nur Ablehnung gibt

[@marierosin3512]

well done technically but poorly conceived and scripted

[@Elixear]

Look better, you'll find love. If you can't see it, you're not human. Sorry.

[@MichaelMyers-pj2uk]

This is really weird to watch while stoned

[@вячеславамритин]

"delivery" saw on molodist fest

[@akrlglg]

I don’t know the moral of the vid

[@40watt53]

centrifuge brain project was better

[@Elliot88088]

I agree