Yellow Cake

Yellow Cake dresses up a tragic story of oppression and resistance with a deceptively warm Disney-like animation style complete with a jaunty classic cartoon score. It's darkly funny and beautiful to look at, like a short Loony Tunes cartoon feature at the cinema gone seriously wrong.

The Yellow Cake in question is that produced in the small sleepy hamlet of Baker Town, populated by tiny Smurf-like characters. It is a local delicacy, and in a cheery opening sequence we see the cake being enjoyed by a crowd over a good glass of beer in the town square.

But happiness is short lived. When the giant cats (at least, they might be cats) demand a tribute payment of the delicious Yellow Cake in exchange for not squashing the inhabitants, the mayor of Baker Town reluctantly complies, only to see his townspeople revolt under his increasingly harsh Vichy-like rule.

Revolution, resistance and counter-attack soon follow, until the gloomy end. Who knew sad tales of imperialism could look so gorgeous?

You can watch the film online below:

Yellow Cake from Nick Cross on Vimeo.