National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

DreamWorks Animation released Shrek in May 2001, marking a turning point for the studio and for computer-animated features broadly. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, the film subverted fairy-tale convention with irreverent humor and genuine emotional weight, earning the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Its cultural footprint proved enormous and enduring.

This cell, titled Donkey, captures Eddie Murphy's beloved character against a shadowed stone environment suggestive of the interior of Lord Farquaad's castle. The dim industrial architecture frames Donkey in a moment of quiet tension, a contrast to the character's famously exuberant personality. Preserved on 35mm, the frames offer a tangible connection to one of animation's most recognizable and quotable performances.