Why It Is So Hard to Live in the Present?

Why It Is So Hard to Live in the Present?

2016 · 4 min · Animation

The period of time we find hardest to inhabit is the present; for a range of powerful reasons we should take on board.

Directed by Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat · Written by Alain de Botton

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

1h 25m together

Why It Is So Hard to Live in the Present?

Olivia & the Clouds

Both from Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat.

More from Tomás Pichardo-EspaillatSee all →

Olivia & the CloudsOlivia & the Clouds · 2025
Olivia & the Clouds
★ 6.02025
MovieAnimationDrama
Olivia & the Clouds explores love's complexities through a Rashomon effect. Olivia, haunted by a past love, hides it under her bed. She trades flowers with this ghost in exchange for comforting rain clouds. Barbara, rejected by Mauricio, escapes reality through fantastical stories. Mauricio, full of regrets, is swallowed by the earth. Ramon, smitten by Olivia, witnesses the growth of a strange plant mirroring her. With surreal elements, the film delves into the enduring power of love's memory.
Divine ComedyDivine Comedy · 2019
Divine Comedy
2019
Movie
Explore Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, “Divine Comedy,” a 3-part narrative that follows Dante’s journey for salvation through Hell.
Floating IslandsFloating Islands · 2013
Floating Islands
2013
Movie
Millions of people abandon their countries each year in search of a better life, from Africa to Europe, the Caribbean to the United States, North to South Korea. In transit their status and human rights become negligible as they become illegal immigrants. What motivates them is usually universal; poverty, war, fear. They travel by foot, hide inside cars, are shipped in trucks and buses, and many travel by boat. In our globalised world the boundaries are open for trade but closed for immigration, their numbers are reported aligned with political motivations, the complexity of the individual story and its outcome, whether dead or alive, is skimmed over as the next news piece is ranked precedence. Based on quotes and testimonials, this hand drawn animation focuses on what happens while floating in the no man's land of open waters.
The Rebel Radio that brought down a war criminalThe Rebel Radio that brought down a war criminal · 2022
The Rebel Radio that brought down a war criminal
2022
Movie
Get to know the story of Radio Venceremos, an underground radio collective that fought US-backed fascism during the Salvadoran Civil War.
MalvaoMalvao · 2015
Malvao
2015
Movie
A short animated film about the bad guys.
Línea ConfínLínea Confín · 2011
Línea Confín
2011
Movie
The life of illegal Haitians in the Dominican Republic.
DanteDante · 2013
Dante
2013
Movie
A look into the space that no longer we can claim our own. A farewell to the memories, view through the eyes of Dante, the observer. Today's responsible for the catharsis and misfortune of making us leave what we once called Home.
RootsRoots · 2024
Roots
2024
MovieScience FictionAnimation
In the machine-controlled city of Sistepolis, M225, a dissatisfied young programmer, is rescued during her commute to work by Niko, an ally of the resistance. Together, they escape to Geapolis, a free world where Gea, the leader of the resistance, guides them. Gea seeks the valuable assistance of M225 to overthrow Sistepolis and liberate its people. Now, M225 becomes the last hope to challenge the dominion of the machines and restore freedom in both worlds.
Where the Bees SleepWhere the Bees Sleep
Where the Bees Sleep
MovieAnimationDrama
Two people rescue each other from loneliness just when they need it most. Their bond becomes a home that endures over time.
One of the most dangerous men in American historyOne of the most dangerous men in American history · 2023
One of the most dangerous men in American history
2023
Movie
In 1830, David Walker sewed a pamphlet into the lining of a coat. The volume was thin enough to be hidden, but its content was far from insubstantial. At the time, many members of the US government considered this pamphlet to be one of the most dangerous documents in American history. But what was this incendiary document? And who exactly was the man who wrote it?
When did we start using passports?When did we start using passports? · 2026
When did we start using passports?
2026
Movie
As the world becomes increasingly global for some, and increasingly divided for others, the question remains: Should lines on a map be what determine a person's rights and freedoms?
AsteriscoAsterisco · 2020
Asterisco
2020
Movie
A short film that explores the concept of dreams from a personal standpoint.
Harvey Milk's radical vision of equalityHarvey Milk's radical vision of equality · 2019
Harvey Milk's radical vision of equality
2019
MovieAnimation
Learn about the life and tragic death of gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay public official.
The Neuroscience of ImaginationThe Neuroscience of Imagination · 2016
The Neuroscience of Imagination
2016
Movie
Imagine, for a second, a duck teaching a French class. A ping-pong match in orbit around a black hole. A dolphin balancing a pineapple. You probably haven’t actually seen any of these things. But you could imagine them instantly. How does your brain produce an image of something you’ve never seen? Andrey Vyshedskiy details the neuroscience of imagination.
The Rise and Fall of History's First EmpireThe Rise and Fall of History's First Empire · 2020
The Rise and Fall of History's First Empire
2020
Movie
Discover history's first empire: Sumer, located in Mesopotamia, which built the world's first cities and created the first writing system.
Why Should You Read Sci-fi Superstar Octavia E. Butler?Why Should You Read Sci-fi Superstar Octavia E. Butler? · 2019
Why Should You Read Sci-fi Superstar Octavia E. Butler?
2019
Movie
Much science fiction features white male heroes who blast aliens or become saviors of brown people. Octavia E. Butler knew she could tell a better story. She built stunning worlds rife with diverse characters, and brought nuance and depth to the representation of their experiences.

More Like This

Waking LifeWaking Life · 2001
Waking Life
★ 7.52001
MovieAnimationDrama
Waking Life is about a young man in a persistent lucid dream-like state. The film follows its protagonist as he initially observes and later participates in philosophical discussions that weave together issues like reality, free will, our relationships with others, and the meaning of life.
Angel's EggAngel's Egg · 1985
Angel's Egg
★ 7.71985
MovieAnimationFantasy
In the ruins of a strange city, a young girl takes care of a large egg she holds carefully in her arms. She bonds with a boy who is searching for a bird he saw in a dream.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of EvangelionNeon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion · 1997
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion
★ 8.31997
MovieAnimationScience Fiction
SEELE orders an all-out attack on NERV, aiming to destroy the Evas before Gendo can advance his own plans for the Human Instrumentality Project. Shinji is pushed to the limits of his sanity as he is forced to decide the fate of humanity.
Night on the Galactic RailroadNight on the Galactic Railroad · 1985
Night on the Galactic Railroad
★ 7.11985
MovieAdventureAnimation
Lonely and awkward, Giovanni struggles with his sick mother, absent father, and an afterschool job that isolates him from his peers. But on the night of the Festival of Stars, he is magically transported onto a celestial train with his only friend, Campanella. Together, they embark on an extraordinary journey through the galaxy, encountering mysterious characters and grappling with life's deepest questions.
The Little PrinceThe Little Prince · 2015
The Little Prince
★ 7.62015
MovieAdventureAnimation
Based on the best-seller book 'The Little Prince', the movie tells the story of a little girl that lives with resignation in a world where efficiency and work are the only dogmas. Everything will change when accidentally she discovers her neighbor that will tell her about the story of the Little Prince that he once met.
HarmonyHarmony · 2015
Harmony
★ 6.82015
MovieThrillerAnimation
Set in a future world. Japan has created a great medical technology that controls ethics, health, and social interaction to create a perfect world. Three young girls attempt to stand up to this by committing suicide, but it doesn't work. Years later, Tuan, one of the girls who attempted suicide must prevent a crisis that threatens this "perfect" world.
Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? · 2013
Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?
★ 6.92013
MovieDocumentaryAnimation
A series of interviews featuring linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky done in hand-drawn animation.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter