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Dead Times

Original title: Les temps morts
1964 · 10 min
Directed by René Laloux · Czech Republic / Czechoslovakia · Contemporary European Art Cinema
Short filmAnimationDrama

Where to watch in the United States: Stream: Criterion Channel. Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDB; availability changes.

Cast

Roland Dubillard

Credits

Written by: René Laloux Jacques Sternberg Roland Topor
Music: Alain Goraguer
Produced by: Samy Halfon

Plot

What is man? Man makes war, man kills man, man hunts, man is executed. A montage mixing original drawings by Topor, original shots and stock shots that ironically analyze what man is.

Sinekatalog’s take

A short animated essay mixing drawings and stock shots to ironically reflect on mankind's violence. Bold and sardonic, it is unsettling in a good way. Recommended for adventurous fans of surreal animation.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

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Ratings

IMDb: 6.7 / 10 (982 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.

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