Search for “Play Time 1995 Joanna Priestley” on ok.ru. Be prepared for occasional Russian subtitles or cropped aspect ratios (it was originally 1.33:1). Some uploads incorrectly label it as “Playtime” (1967 Tati) or a different 1995 short, so confirm the director’s name. Would you like a direct link to a verified upload on ok.ru, or a comparison to other Priestley films from that era?

The film never had a major commercial release. It circulated on festival circuits (Annecy, Ottawa) and later on VHS/DVD compilations of experimental animation. ok.ru (a Russian social media/video platform) hosts many rare, out-of-print shorts uploaded by collectors. The quality there is usually a standard-definition rip—which actually adds to the grainy, VHS-era creepiness.

The film follows a young girl trapped in a sterile, dollhouse-like room. Using stop-motion animation, the "play time" becomes a ritual of entrapment. Toys move on their own, shadows stretch menacingly, and the child’s attempts at play are thwarted by unseen forces. There is no dialogue —only an eerie, minimalist soundscape of creaks, whispers, and dissonant piano.