The short film is only eight minutes long and not a single word was spoken but Umbrella managed to move audiences’ hearts. The short film that was inspired by true events is now qualified for the Oscars.
The directors of Umbrella are the duo, Helena Hilario and Mario Pece. It tells a story of a boy who lives in an orphanage named Joseph. He dreamt about owning a yellow umbrella and he meets a little girl who brings back the memories of it.
Pictures: Cartoon Brew
What Can Be Said About ‘Umbrella‘
“The film makes us reflect on the importance of observing, listening, and understanding that we cannot judge people without knowing what is behind their experience,” says Hilario. “Everyone goes through situations that we can’t even imagine, so we must be kind to each other. That’s why we thought focusing this narrative around empathy and hope, which we need more and more. We always wanted to make a film without dialogue and use animation, music, and the narrative itself to evoke deep emotions and reflections.”
Umbrella has had a successful festival run and it is the only Brazilian animated short that was qualified for the Oscars this year. It might be the first Brazilian animated short to ever get that far in the category if it was nominated.
“In these times when we can’t give and receive hugs,” says Hilario, “Umbrella was embraced by the Brazilian media and public.”
What ‘Umbrella‘ Is About
Pictures: Cartoon Brew
Hilario’s sister told her that she had visited an orphanage in Palmas, Brazil to deliver Christmas gifts to the children. As the others enjoy the gifts, a boy didn’t want any of the toys. He said that he would love an umbrella because he remembered the last time he saw his father was on a rainy day. He thought that he needed an umbrella to bring back his family.
As Hilario explains, “In making this short, our dream and goal were to translate a painful memory into art to spread a beautiful message of empathy and hope. A sad event inspired us to create a beautiful and delicate story. We couldn’t stop thinking about how precious our memories are, and we must put ourselves in the other’s shoes before jumping to conclusions.”
Here is the short film:
Sources: Youtube, Cartoon Brew
