When I went to see Dali: Painting and Film at MoMA last year, I was fascinated by an animated short film that Dali collaborated with Walt Disney to create. It was called Destino and was a 7 minute long love story of Chronos and his ill-fated longing for a mortal female. While Dali started working on storyboards in 1945, the studios’ financial woes from World War Two put the project on hold indefinitely. It was until the late 90s that Disney animators took on the task of deciphering Dali’s cryptic storyboards to produce the film. Only 18 seconds of Dali’s original animation remains. I’ll just call it the robotic tortoise-humans in love segment for now. Let’s just say, you’ll know it when you see it. I love the characteristic Dali elements that are sprinkled throughout the film, like the sand, ants and phones. Overall, it’s an absolutely beautiful piece of art.
The new Destino was intended to be a part of Fantasia 2006, but when the project was cancelled it was entered instead in the 2003 Amecy International Animated Film Festival where it received rave reviews. The film was even nominated for an Academy Award for Animated Short. But, since then, it’s only lived on in museums.
When I got home I frantically scoured the internet for the film so I could watch it over and over to no avail. Sadly, I gave up. But now, there is a glimmer of hope. Word has it that Destino is scheduled for DVD home release in 2010, along with a documentary about Dali and Disney’s artistic history together. I don’t want to get my hopes up just yet, because a quick search shows there was an identical rumor circulating in 2008, but let’s all be optimistic so that maybe it might actually happen. And for now, I’m excited to say that the full film is now available online. Check it out below. -Celeste
