Long noses, like wrinkled pickles or deflated balloons, protrude from the faces of the comically eccentric characters in the animated documentary "Endless Cookie," by animator Seth Scriver, a white man, and his half-brother Peter, an Indigenous man from the Shamattawa First Nations in northern Canada. Pete's memories, which illustrate the complexities of Indigenous life in Canada, form the basis of this personal family album.
As Pete recalls events that happened to him, his community, or his family, intimate memories merge with the general, addressing the impact of residential schools, land claims by ambitious corporations, and the disproportionate incarceration of First Nations members. Occasionally, he utters a few words or phrases in Cree and touches on the spirituality of his people.
Directors: Peter Scriver, Seth Scriver
Writers: Peter Scriver, Seth Scriver
Stars: Ada Scriver, Dezray Scriver, Kristin Scriver
“Endless Cookie” simultaneously chronicles the creation of the project, which took nine years to complete, from receiving government funding to the various stages and challenges of recording Pete’s anecdotes in his cramped house in the isolated and frigid village of Shamattawa (there’s only one shop in the village), which he shares with nearly a dozen family members and ten dogs (one of them depicted as a bizarre four-legged version of Mr. Peanut).
The character designs don’t necessarily reflect the physical appearance of the people they’re based on, and yet, when family photos appear near the end of the documentary, you can see how their animated counterparts capture their essence. For example, Pete’s daughter, Cookie Scriver, is depicted as a chocolate chip cookie with legs, while other children appear as colorful blobs with messy hair or inanimate objects with faces.
The elliptical narrative introduces multiple threads, forgets them for a moment, and then returns to them, much like a casual conversation with people familiar with these personal legends. One of these stories, about Pete getting his hand caught in an animal trap, functions almost as a mechanism that keeps the plot largely focused. Seth Scriver, the art director of "Endless Cookie," allows the lines of thought to feel loose, reflecting the quality of his trip from Toronto to Shamattawa to capture the chorus of voices that intervenes and guides the animation.
Numerous digressions allow other members of the extended family to take the reins of the documentary for brief periods to share their own dreams or memories in mesmerizing animation. Short cuts, such as one in which a coffee cup introduces a quick quip or a smart car seat listens to radio programs on current sociopolitical issues, are common as part of the film's pleasantly meandering structure. “Endless Cookie,” with its irreverent tone, wacky structure, and humorously grotesque look, is reminiscent of more idiosyncratic animated television shows like “Regular Show,” “Adventure Time,” or “Rick and Morty.” Not all viewers will react well to its humor.
While some of the more absurd vignettes may seem surprising and drawn out (potentially testing some viewers’ patience and tolerance for children’s comedy), there is often a poignant acknowledgment of the mistreatment suffered by Indigenous peoples, beyond mere absurdity. This is true even in a film where a character sounds like Marlon Brando in “The Godfather.” Incredibly surprising is that some of the most outrageous and implausible tall tales included are backed up by photographic evidence.
A substantial portion of “Endless Cookie” explores Pete’s days as a young Indigenous man in Toronto, loitering, ordering pizza that he and his friends hope to get for free, or grappling with alcoholism. But even as he recalls some of the most tragic episodes of his life, Pete's laughter is infectious, and without uttering a word, his guffaws (often in unison with Seth's) express an admirable "that's life" attitude. Seth Scriver succeeds in showing the world why he believes his older brother is a wonderful storyteller.
It's not that Pete is particularly charming or has a hypnotic voice, but rather that he can transform the most irrelevant, seemingly insular piece into a funny fragment that invites the listener to take the burden of existence less seriously, without ever ignoring the past. Beneath the raunchy fart jokes and images of mating caribou, the Scrivers' "Endless Cookie" pays homage to the legacy others have left through their experiences so that it can help each new generation reconstruct its understanding of the conflicting present.
Comments
Post a Comment