Reflective Encounters

“Footsteps on the Wind displays a world of disruption, separation, and disaster. Its vision of a family torn apart is expanded to a biblical scale, featuring a seismic flood that fractures the earth itself. In this hectic setting there is also the presence of beauty and possibility. The siblings’ split from their parents turns into an adventure with visual hints to Jules Verne. Ocean creatures morph into surreal monsters in a fantastic sequence where the siblings’ traverse the seabed. Using such surreal imagery is a bold move when tackling real-world subjects. Yet this gamble seems to elevate the emotional intensity of its message, an intensity that realism might not have achieved.

The short displays some impressive performances animated with precise linework. The character design is pitched somewhere between the realms of cartoon aesthetics and realism. It’s an approach which allows for the tone’s seamless shift from safety to threat. The summery colour palette serves a similar purpose of cloaking the film’s darker elements. The short’s blissful blue skies wouldn’t seem out of place in the films of anime master Makoto Shinkai (Your Name, 2016). E. H. Shepherd’s homely children’s illustrations could also be inspirations for the short’s backgrounds.”

— Chris Childs