Bus Story

Backed by Jean-Pierre Chansigaud's banjo soundtrack, this animated black comedy short for adults is the latest from single-named filmmaker Tali (At Home with Mrs. Hen [VL-9/07]). A lady protagonist who dreams of driving a bus and waving at everyone as she passes finally gets her chance from a general store worker named Killer. The new beret-bedecked bus driver likes her job a lot, even when an innocuous question for a young passenger goes awry (the boy, excitedly: “My father bought my mother a G-string!”), and an older rider beans her with an apple core, calling her a “stupid idiot.” As seasons pass, Bus Story gets weirder: the vehicle is in a damaging brush with a combine, Killer makes her “come in anyway” when she's ill, and she accidentally runs over Killer's dog Fatty, burying her shame with a scraping of winter snow. Featuring charcoal and naturalistic colors, this strange but entertaining tale for older viewers is recommended. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)