When you watch Christine Dunn’s experimental animated film “Particle Valentine,” you won’t always know what you’re looking at, but you’ll know how it makes you feel. Confused, “did I just see a manicured thumbnail?” Frightened, “was that a pair of eyes?” Awestruck, “it’s like the birth of a new life form or planet.” The images in Dunn’s four minute-long stop-motion piece are an assortment of definite objects (the thumbnail), colors (pinks, reds, oranges, yellows, and light greens), and discernible but ambiguous shapes (white flower petals that could also be mushrooms). The accompanying soundtrack is like organ music that’s lighter and twinkles more. Along with the visuals, it produces an eerie sensation. When the screen fades to darkness, you’re almost certain that something the next image will make your heart race. Instead, it’s something beautiful. Even if you can’t identify it, you won’t be able to tear your eyes away from it.
