In other plagiarism news, Disney’s Oscar-winning short film Paperman has been accused of copying an Australian 2008 short called Signs, directed by Patrick Hughes.
Since last year, John Kahrs’ Paperman has been shown in cinemas before the feature-length animation Wreck-It Ralph and many audiences have been struck by the similarities to the much lower-budgeted, lesser-known Signs.
While fans of the Hughes film have lashed out against Disney on social media, the director doesn’t share their outrage.
“There are similarities,” says Hughes, whose film has over 9 million views on YouTube. “But I really admire the short, I think it’s beautiful. Every piece of work I’ve ever done, I’ve had someone say the same things about me.”
Both films are predominantly silent, centre around a love-at-first-sight romance and are set in a bustling city between two neighbouring office buildings. They’re both beautiful films and while clearly inspired by similar ideas, they each convey a different message which sort of stunts the whole ‘plagiarism’ claim. Kahrs’ Paperman draws heavily on the premise of fate while Signs focuses more on the protagonist’s search for companionship.
Watch them both below and make up your own mind.
