The Mountain, The Moon Cave & The Sad God

The Mountain, The Moon Cave & The Sad God is an 8-minute animated epic following the adventures of Gorillaz band members Noodle, Murdoc, 2D and Russel as they journey across India, exploring existential themes including the journey of life and the thrill of existence. It sees artist and Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett return to the purest form of his art to bring a detailed and beautiful intricacy to his distinctive, yet ever-evolving style. Directed by Hewlett, with Max Taylor and Tim McCourt of BAFTA-nominated animation studio THE LINE, the film was made across 18 months and thousands of artist hours, a hand-crafted homage to the golden era of 2D animation reimagining the world of Gorillaz through a classic cinematic lens. Hewlett collaborated with THE LINE on a vision to reinterpret Gorillaz through the visual language and timeless aesthetic of 1960s animated features. The result is a richly textured short film that honours the animators who paved the way for today’s studios. The process was steered by a determination to honour traditional craftsmanship with a hybrid analogue-digital workflow favouring hand-painted backgrounds, real materials, practical effects and period-accurate limitations over contemporary shortcuts - a true celebration of 2D animation and human creativity.