Marianne McGinnis

Set 247 million years ago in what is now South Africa, The Moschops (2000) is a faux nature documentary focused on a genus long extinct. Trainor describes his animated film as being "about the origin of compassion in the animal kingdom."

A bat tells his story. He lives near a Mayan temple in a cave with bats of nine different pitches. His mother cares for him, teaching him to echo for worms. But all is not idyllic: his brother dies learning to fly; not everyone gets along (babies can be attacked by bats of other pitches). After three years, his sexual urge materializes, and he mates with many females. God speaks to him from time to time, giving solace and advice. Drinking water, finding worms, and enjoying sex bring happiness. But extinction may loom for his species, and regardless of his wish to live forever, death does await.

Simplistic drawings portray the myths and rituals of the ancient Moche civilization as interpreted by the filmmaker from the artwork on Moche pottery, inspired by Donnan McClelland's "Sex and Death."