You ever wonder what would happen if you and your sarcastic high school classmates were destined for the bottom of the sea? Well, this weekend, the Byrd is giving you a chance to find out.
Richmond’s historic move palace is screening My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea, an animated film directed & written by Dash Shaw. Described as an “equal parts disaster cinema, high school comedy and blockbuster satire,[the film is] told through a dream-like mixed media animation style that incorporates drawings, paintings and collage.”
Originally featured during the Toronto International Film Festival this past September, MEHSSITS debuted in American theaters on April 14, 2017 through GKIDS. The coming-of-age movie also played at Fantastic Fest, New York Film Festival, and AFI Fest.
The film follows sophomore best friends, Dash (Jason Schwartzman) and Assaf (Reggie Watts), as calamity befalls their high school, situated on a seaside cliff over a tectonic fault line. Along with fellow survivors & friends Verti (Maya Rudolph) and Mary (Lena Dunham), the group weathers an emotional rollercoaster ride of teenage relationships and natural disaster. Joined by Lunch Lady Lorraine (Susan Sarandon), who saves Dash (loosely based on Shaw) from drowning, the party manages to escape the sunken ruins of their school.
The movie’s creator, Dash Shaw, is a graphic novelist whose previous works include acclaimed books like Bottomless Belly Button, Cosplayers, and New School. You can find out more about his work here.
MEHSSITS garnered an 86% “certified fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes and received a 6.2 out of 10 on IMDB.
My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea will play at 4:30pm at the Byrd Theatre this Saturday and Sunday (5/27, 5/28). This psychedelic journey through the catastrophic and awkward runs for 75 minutes.
