Idea #54 - Realism in Animation

Today we watched Death of a Father by Chaitanya Tamhane and Somnath Pal, a short animation video that shows us the reality of the loss of a loved one.

Animation is often used to fabricate unreal time and space, and metaphysical powers, both of which are nothing more than fiction in the real world. However, in this short film we see the realest of real narrations, like nothing even live action films offer.

Unlike how movies show the bereaved taking time for themselves, grieving the loss of their loved ones, Death of a Father goes beyond what is visible to the eye and shows us how the bereaved really have to mourn their loss, having barely any time to even reminisce the good times amid all the rituals and phone calls. Every part of the film is organic to its essence, including the little town, which, in fact, does exist on the face of the planet!

The music in the film is also worth paying heed to. Although we do not hear it throughout the length of the film, it accompanies the scene precisely when it needs to. The intricacies in the notes and how they seamlessly fit into the little windows between the scenes, making it a whole picture, engage deeply with the audience.

The sheer simplicity and the rawness of the yarn makes us reflect upon how little time we have with the ones we love the most.

Written By: Arya Kastwar

Curated By: Hetvi Kamdar