Cave: An Animated Film

The allegory of the cave from Plato's Republic is one of the most famous and influential ideas from ancient philosophy. In my thesis, a fictional narrative, I have created a fantasy story that examines the theme of humanity's separation from transcendent reality in the Platonic sense, while ultimately leading to a different set of conclusions than Plato. In addition to Plato, the story draws on ideas from many sources, including the Bible, The Divine Comedy, the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, and contemporary philosophy such as C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man and other modern views on the question of objective truth. All of the film's visuals are drawn by my own hand, with artistic influence from the work of Alfons Mucha and Charles Rennie Mackintosh among others. In pulling from many influences, I aim to synthesize something memorable and new.