Animated Noam Chomsky Documentary: Is The Man Who Is Tall Happy?

Noam Chomsky, the world-renowned linguist and political critic, and Michel Gondry, and the French film director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep, team up to make a one-of-a-kind documentary. The film unfolds a two-way conversation between the unlikely duo. More than just an interview, the film is animated with Gondry’s unique artistic flair.

Shot on 16mm film, the documentary Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? intertwines live footage with animation. The film reveals Gondry’s filmic process, highlighting the aspects “that ordinarily remain hidden for the viewer’s pleasure.” With hand-drawn animation, Gondry explores his artistic anxieties, as Chomsky explains linguistic intricacies.

A tour-de-force of unconventional filmmaking and intellectual exploration, Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? “celebrates the life of a great mind and makes a case for the mind that knows less but keeps on asking.”

Noam Chomsky is an intricate man, one who doesn't hesitate to question everything around him. Perhaps best known for his constant criticisms of the US government and media, Chomsky has been hailed as “arguably the most important intellectual alive” by The New York Times. To learn more about this man, you can pick up a copy of Chomsky For Beginners here.

Originally published on the For Beginners LLC blog on November 22, 2013.