The animation of the past is the part of that sentence that really attracts me

I struggled a bit with how much agency to attribute to the past here, and your excellent example makes me see I was under-selling it.

Now I'm reminded of Jeremy Dutcher explaining that his Wolastoq ancestors recorded themselves singing traditional songs in order to time travel -- so that they could send the songs forward in time for him to recover from the archive and sing.

Of course the past has intent and purpose. Of course it wants to act upon the present and the future.

I am going to continue talking at you about this movie, I am afraid; I think you would like it

Ha! I will look for it immediately.