National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

DreamWorks Animation released Shrek in May 2001, positioning it as a direct challenge to Disney's dominance in feature animation. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, the film adapted William Steig's picture book into a fractured fairy tale that earned the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Its irreverent humor and pioneering CGI work marked a turning point in how studios approached the genre.

This cell, titled Shrek and Donkey, captures the two central characters within a dimly lit interior space, ornate door hardware visible in the background. The three frames document a brief, continuous moment from this shadowed setting, with Shrek present throughout and Donkey confirmed in the opening frames. It is a quiet, atmospheric excerpt from one of animation's most consequential productions.