A 1954 color film that understands something most modern animation forgets: color itself can be a character. Three butterflies and a falling bird teach you everything about belonging and rejection in seven wordless minutes. The red rose turns away the red butterfly because sameness isn't the same as kinship, and that small cruelty stays with you longer than any spectacle could.

When a bird falls out of its nest during a rainstorm, three butterflies come to its rescue. Seeking cover, the butterflies turn to the flowers for help. The red rose, however, agrees to shelter only the red butterfly, because the two share the same color. Made in 1954, this fantasy film is an early work of color animation, and it puts its colors to work in telling the story.