Chen Xi’s piece largely reads as a formal process experiment; moreover, its animation is relatively restrained. But perhaps this is where “The Six” strength lies: in its strict attention to structure.

“The Six” is screening at Vienna Shorts

”The Six” feels like an animated comic-strip in a screen split three ways. To the left and right, two moons wax and wane; they exchange the foreshadowing and aftermath of each encounter. In the center, a man seduces a new woman each month. He goes through the same repeat motions for each lover, only to be tempted by another mistress passing by his window. By the end of the four-minute short, a wandering crane steps into the center. The man steps outside his home at last, breaking free from the confines of the animated loop.

Mesmerizing and enigmatic, Chen Xi captures the elegance of the animated cycle in “The Six.” This...