Flatland (2007 film)

Flatland
Promotional film poster
Directed by	Ladd Ehlinger Jr.
Produced by	F.X. Vitolo
Written by	Tom Whalen
Based on	Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott
Starring	Chris Carter Megan Colleen Ladd Ehlinger Jr.
Music by	Mark Slater
Edited by	Ladd Ehlinger Jr
Release date	2007 (2007)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Flatland (also released as Flatland: The Film and Flatland the film) is a 2007 computer-animated film based on the 1884 novella Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott. The film was directed and animated by Ladd Ehlinger Jr. in Lightwave 3D. The screenplay was written by author Tom Whalen. The music was composed by Mark Slater.

In a two-dimensional world called Flatland populated by living squares, triangles, circles and other two-dimensional shapes, it is three days until the celebration of the year 3000. A Square, attorney at law, struggles to instruct his grandson, A Hexagon, in the art of sight recognition. The lesson is interrupted by A Square's brother B, a clerk to President Circle, warning A to stay home during a meeting at the Senate of the Great Southern Republic of Flatland.

The Senate session has been called to discuss the increasing hostilities between the government and the Chromatist movement, led by Senator Chromatistes, an irregular dodecagon. The movement seeks legalization of the right of Flatlanders to color their sides as they see fit. Traditionally taboo, laws against it had been relaxed; this emboldened the Chromatists to demand legalization. The Great Southern Republic distinguishes itself from its enemy, the Northern Kingdom, by its stances on Chromatism and Irregulars along with a democratic government. Relaxing the laws has already been perceived as weakness by the Northern Kingdom who are massing on the borders.

Against his brother’s warning, A Square meets his new client, the first female charged as a Chromatist; on his way home he is caught in the melee leaving the Senate. President Circle’s soldiers killed Senator Chromatistes and his supporters, sparking a riot across the city. A Square just gets home safely, then barricades his family against the chaos for the night.

Once asleep, A Square dreams of visiting a one-dimensional world, Lineland, and attempts to convince the realm's ignorant king of a second dimension, but fails to make him see outside of his eternally straight line. A Square awakens to learn that the deadly riots originated in the Senate meeting that B Square was attending. A visit to B Square’s home confirms that he is missing. A Square scours the city, now under martial law, seeking B Square. At the marketplace, he meets a merchant selling a fascinating "glow point", and buys one for A Hexagon, who has been sulking since being disciplined for coloring one of his sides purple.