''Kiwi!'' is a 2006 computer-generated animation short film created by Dony Permedi as his Master's Thesis project at the

School of Visual Arts The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. History This school was started by Silas ...

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. The music was composed and performed by Tim Cassell. The short gained widespread popularity online after being uploaded to

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

, becoming a notable

Internet phenomenon Internet phenomena are social and cultural phenomena specific to the Internet, such as Internet memes, which include popular catchphrases, images, viral videos, and jokes. When such fads and sensations occur online, they tend to grow rapidly ...

. Unofficial versions of the film have been paired with the song "

Mad World "Mad World" is a 1982 song by British band Tears for Fears. Written by Roland Orzabal and sung by bassist Curt Smith, it was the band's third single release and first chart hit, reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart in November 1982. ...

" by

Gary Jules Gary Jules Aguirre Jr. (born March 19, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, known primarily for his cover version of the Tears for Fears song " Mad World", which he recorded with his friend Michael Andrews for the film '' Donnie Darko''. ...

, and have circulated widely as

viral video Viral videos are video, videos that become popular through viral phenomenon, a viral process of Internet sharing, primarily through video sharing websites such as YouTube as well as social media and email.Lu Jiang, Yajie Miao, Yi Yang, ZhenZhon ...

Plot

The animation follows a kiwi bird that painstakingly nails rows of trees horizontally along the face of a steep cliff. Once finished, the kiwi climbs to the top of the cliff, dons an aviator's helmet, and leaps off. As the kiwi falls, the camera perspective shifts sideways, revealing that the trees simulate a forest floor—allowing the bird to feel as if it is flying. A tear forms in its eye as it flaps its tiny wings, momentarily fulfilling its dream. The video ends ambiguously, with a sound that has been interpreted by viewers as either a crash or the opening of a parachute.

Reception

''Kiwi!'' has received a large following for its deep meaning and heart touching manner. One of the most popular activities in the fan base is to create an alternate ending (usually one where the kiwi survives). , the animation has been viewed over 49 million times. It won official recognition on March 26, 2007, when viewers voted it the Most Adorable video of 2006 in the first annual YouTube Video Awards. This was an event large enough to draw international media attentionRebecca L. Lee,
Goes Hollywood
',

ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...

. Retrieved on 2007-03-29
'Ask a Ninja,' OK Go win YouTube Awards
'',

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

. Retrieved on 2007-03-29Virginia Heffernan,
awards the top of its heap
',

International Herald Tribune The ''International Herald Tribune'' (''IHT'') was a daily English-language newspaper published in Paris, France, for international English-speaking readers. It published under the name ''International Herald Tribune'' starting in 1967, but its ...

. Retrieved on 2007-03-29 with

describing ''Kiwi!'' as "so cute it hurts" while the ''

'', critical of the awards, characterized the video as being "sweet but dull."

References

External links

''Kiwi!''
video on

Dony Permedi's websiteDony Permedi interviewedKazakhstani YouTube-like project named after this animation
(Archived) * {{IMDb title, 1051713, Kiwi! 2006 independent films 2006 animated short films 2006 YouTube videos American aviation films American computer-animated films Fictional kiwi American student films Animated films without speech 2000s American films

Plot

Reception

See also

References

External links