Reflective Encounters

“Kaleidoscopic splashes of brightness offset atypical, murky colour schemes before giving way to a serene backdrop of breezy aqua greens as we follow a troupe of young children exploring the grass. When they happen upon a locust their fascination and curiosity turns to fear, the world around them turning dark again as primal defence instincts kick in. There’s a charmingly subdued quality to Yi-Han Jhao’s The Frolic, a study in memory and childhood depicted through ostensibly naive drawings (whose sense of assurance grows throughout the film) that morph into and out of one another with a sense of hypnagogic logic.

The prevailing theme is that of our childhood fascinations with the minutiae of plants and insects, an elaborate ecosystem that captivates us when our developing brains are at their most inquisitive. Through flashes of remembrance – perhaps the director’s own – we recall relatable glimpses of summers’ past, of the patterns and habits of garden life and the value it holds, as well as our impulse to destroy what we’re fearful of or simply don’t understand. It makes for an oddly affirming reminder that, even at its smaller scale, there remains a beauty and brutality to nature that goes hand-in-hand with itself.”

— Ben Mitchell