Han Yang, Basil Malek, “The Tree” (2018)
Almost completely silent save for ambient background sound effects, this deeply moving animated short about an elderly man living an isolated life in a drought-stricken desert world, spending his days trying to obtain enough water from a well to water a tiny tree sapling that seemingly fails to thrive, is sure to have many viewers in tears. The narrative demonstrates the importance of the tree to the man: it is a memorial to his long-dead daughter who, in her dying days, drew a picture of herself and her father in the shade of a flourishing tree on the wall of their hut. After her death, the father planted a tree sapling on her grave and has cared for it ever since.
The animation is very minimal and concentrates on the main characters: the father and the tree itself. Despite all his efforts, the tree always appears fragile and on the verge of dying. The well gives up very little water. The father spends all his days trying to fetch more water to feed the tree until one day a huge dust storm gathers and threatens the tree’s survival. The father throws himself upon the girl’s grave to try to save the tree. What happens next may well shock many viewers and surprise and gladden others.
Self-sacrifice, hope, the importance of memory and remembering lost loved ones, and the deceptiveness of appearance – things that seem the most frail turn out to be the strongest – are the major themes of this poignant film.