SNAPSHOT
Negative Space is a wonderful stop-motion cloth animation that features a son reminiscing about his relationship with his now-departed father through the act of packing a suitcase. The narration of the film comes directly from a Ron Koertge poem of the same name, while the characters and scenes were created by filmmakers Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter of Tiny Inventions. (synopsis (c) Laughing Squid)
This is such a beautiful, deeply-touching film.
It speaks, in its own unique, highly-creative and visually-enchanting way – it uses stop-motion animation to beguiling effect – of the bonds that occur between parents and children, and how they may not always follow the sort routes that people routinely expect.
For instance, in Negative Space, by filmmakers Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter, father and son bond over the best way to pack a suitcase and the highest praise the son could ever receive was “Perfect” from his dad when he had packed his father’s suitcase for him.
The son reminisces that it may be the usual way sons bond with fathers – usually that’s shooting hoops or something seen as inherently masculine (itself a problematic, loaded concept); in my case, it was our shared love of subverting expectations and being willing to ask “Why?” instead of blindly accepting something … I miss my dad – but it worked for them and drew them close.
How close becomes clear at the end of this film which is exquisitely emotionally-resonant which can’t help but get you deep in the feels if you have ever lost a parent …