The Chief and the Carpenter



The Chief and the Carpenter (in Spanish: El jefe y el carpintero) is an animated short produced in Uruguay, directed by Walter Tournier and a script written by Francisco Hinojosa, released in 2000. The short film takes place in the Caribbean Islands and is an episode part of the anthology series "Animated Tales of the World".

Summary
Set in the Caribbean Islands, Chano the carpenter tells Angela that the chief needs a very big bench that is high enough to touch the moon as he tells her that Zanzin the great wise man is coming to visit them and the bench must be ready by tomorrow before Zanzin arrives. Chano also tells her that the last time Zanzin came nine years ago, the chief had the greatest delicacies prepared such as shellfish and lobsters. Meanwhile, during dinner, the Chief tells Zanzin that being governor isn't enough and the Chief suggests an event for everyone to remember. Suddenly, Chano arrives to the chief (who tells him to call him the governor) and Zanzin and the Chief who arrive towards Angela that the spot with the tree will be a large home for lots of birds and the chief starts thinking that the home where the birds are at will either become a bench or the future home for extra birds.

Meanwhile on the beach, Zanzin tells the Chief that being a good leader must treat with respect, such as nature. Returning to his home, the Chief sees the moon in the sky and he places benches on the balcony and starts thinking that he wants to touch the moon in the sky. The chief's wife tells his husband to stay in bed rather than stay up late to touch the moon. A failed attempt to touch the moon leads the chief being injured on the head. The next day, the chief and his wife bid a farewell to Zanzin as he leaves the islands. The chief then asks Chano by insisting him to chop down many trees to build a big tower to make it possible for him to touch the moon. The reason why the chief wants to touch the moon is that he wants to become famous in the island for touching the moon in which the moon becomes bigger in two days. Angela is worried that in order to build a big tower, all the trees must be chopped to build a big tower in which Chano must think of something about the trees.

Meanwhile, Chano asks "the governor" by telling him a solution to save the trees is to put furniture into a pile without the need to cut down any of the trees on the island. "The governor" suggests building a tower on the spot where the birds are at. the chief then asks Angela that the tree where the birds are nesting at must be sacrificed. The islanders, along with Chano and Angela, bring furniture out of the shelters to help build a tower for "the governor" to touch the moon. However, the islanders run out of furniture to build a big tower. "The governor" asks the islanders that the only way to increase the tower is to chop down all the trees to make the tower larger. The next day, the islanders chop down all the trees to make a big tower with the help of Chano and Angela and the tower could be big enough to get close to the moon. All the trees are chopped down and "the governor" says that there are lots of houses that have doors, walls, and windows that can be used to expand the tower. As the tower is expanded, the chief tells Chano that the only thing left to expand the tower is the last house, which is actually the home of Chano. Meanwhile, nothing was left to build expand the tower and the only thing left to expand is the bench that increases the tower, despite Chano's warnings. Meanwhile, Chano pulls the bench at the bottom of the tower, causing it to collapse and the chief to be injured.

Meanwhile, everything on the island is in the process of being rebuilt, as the chief reforms by placing the birds on the tree that Angela is watering by telling him to change his behaviour. The chief then tells Angela that he can't do anything he wants, because the chief must respect nature (in which he forgot to do after Zanzin left the island). Rather than building a tower, the chief then tells Angela a suggestion about a house for some birds. The islanders, including the chief, Chano, and Angela, stay in the only shelter available while the destroyed buildings are in the process of being rebuilt.

Voice Cast

 * Zach Zimet - Chano


 * Tory Gilley - Angela


 * Darryl Gilley - The Chief ("The Governor")


 * Connie Zimet - The Chief's Wife


 * George Harris - Zanzin

Trivia

 * Chano and the Chief later appeared in another animated short released in 2001 titled "Caribbean Christmas" (in Spanish: "Navidad Caribeña") directed by the same director (Walter Tournier). However, this short is not part of the anthology series "Animated Tales of the World".