Federico Solmi
The first part, A Song of Tyranny centers on the protagonist in the phase of becoming a dictator and examines the values and models that will influence his rise to power. Beyond the apparent Manichean character, Solmi's playful aesthetics integrate a series of visual metaphors to present viewers with a comedic-grotesque parabola on power and excess, while inviting a deeper consideration of inconspicuous Sinophobic sentiments spurred by China's capitalists successes as well as America's own interests and practices. This sarcastic and irreverent tone allows Solmi to target the epitome of human folly, greed, and lust for power, preventing a simple reproduction of the good-versus-evil dichotomy. Solmi's complex production technique combines traditional hand drawn animation with digital models utilizing computer gaming engines to create this high-definition "blockbuster-style" video.