Reflective Encounters

“Hair (or the lack of it) is a powerful identifying feature. Out of all the body parts, hair is perhaps the most socially and culturally imbued, particularly for women. In the last hundred years, with the proliferation of visual media and animation, the importance of hair has only been amplified further. You instantly recognise each member of the Simpson family by their distinctive do’s.

However in the real world, the loss of hair, whether due to genetics or illness can be a source of great anxiety because of how it will affect the way in which we are treated. This is what Mom’s Hair zeroes in on.

Choosing to animate hair through live-action photographs is a clever nod to the story’s biographical roots. It allows for some creative moments, such as when the hair moves like waves in the sea. The way characters are drawn is in keeping with children’s animation, easily readable and expressive. Even though this is a story about illness and the difficulties that arise from mother-daughter relationships, this gentle storytelling approach means that Mom’s Hair has the atmosphere of a bedtime story, making a challenging topic approachable for a younger audience.”

— Cathy Brennan