I could not help myself. It’s dad’s day and despite already posting a Father’s Day Festival line-up, I find myself queuing up another slew of films; this time of the short kind. I just love shorts, and I love dads, so it makes sense. To make this short list short, I just collected three of my most favorite ones, each of a different style.
Will by Eusong Lee (Animation)
I’m all about to give up on the whole 9/11 theme, but Eusong Lee just needed four and a half minutes to pull me back in. Let me tell you, a telephone call and a yoyo could actually change your life. With stirring music and precise sound editing from the team including Julian Kleiss, it serves a whole plate of emotions whether you lost your dad in 9/11 or not.
Father and Daughter by Michael Dudok de Wit (Animation)
This won the 2000 Academy Award for Best Short. It’s beautifully illustrated and the shots are stunning in sepia, grey, and tinges of blue and green. A father says goodbye to his daughter and rows off into the sea. Every moment afterwhich, you feel a sense of longing, hope, then incremental sadness.
Last but not least is a recent favorite…
Cargo by Ben Howling & Yolanda Ramke
This one deserved a separate post when I first saw it, and everytime I watch it, it has the same effect on me. This one is closest to my heart. I could have been Rosie and my dad would have done exactly the same thing.
This seems like such a somber list. For a happier note to Father’s Day, here’s Gridlock – sarcastically funny. Enjoy!
Out of a thousand 