Animastress (1994)

Handling

Picture thousands of hens stacked layer upon layer, aisle after aisle, endlessly producing. Like an assembly line. Their food, water and supplements are delivered mechanically, their eggs gathered by conveyor belt. With no instinct left in this sterile environment, the poor stressed-out birds are led through their paces by an inspirational video of a model hen. Then, one day, a technologist accidentally slips in the wrong cassette and the monitor shows a good mother hen surrounded by her happy brood. Realizing they have been duped and exploited, the whole hen house rises up in revolt. But it's not that easy to escape the system, and soon the hens end up served to customers in a fast-food restaurant. When food is manufactured with the sole goal of maximizing profits, how does it affect those who consume it? This animated short contains a surprising answer. An animated film without words.