(2022) is not merely a retelling of Carlo Collodi’s classic fable but a radical reimagining that transforms a simple story about obedience into a profound meditation on mortality, love, and resistance. Co-directed by Mark Gustafson, this stop-motion masterpiece replaces the traditional "don't lie" moral with a complex exploration of what it means to be "real" in a world dominated by fascism and death. The Weight of Mortality and Grief
: The film introduces the character of Death (sister to the Wood Sprite), who explains that life is precious only because it ends. Pinocchio's immortality is initially a curse that prevents him from being "real" until he chooses to sacrifice it for love. Disobedience as a Virtue
: Geppetto loses his son, Carlo, in an aerial bombing, grounding the entire film in a cycle of grief.