Tempting Fate

Revelers mingle, drink, and dance at a street carnival.

This film, set to Ponta de Lanca Africano (Umbabarauma) by Jorge Ben, was created to accompany Beleza Tropical: Brazil Classics 1, the first in a series of albums compiled by David Byrne to promote the unique music published by Brazilian artists during a repressive period of military rule in the 1970’s-1980’s. The aim was to visually invoke the album’s sensual and lyrical breadth and depth, and to subtly reflect the underlying social and political issues of that time.

The film's goal is to convey the importance of multilateral nuclear disarmament in an apolitical and non-dialogue manner. The animation illustrates the consequences of nuclear escalation, including leaders locked in mutual mistrust, nuclear winter, and the ever-present skeletal spectre of war.