Reflective Encounters

“The seething heat and arid desert of this film mirror the increasing tenseness of an ill-fated family trip to marvel at the natural rock formation of the Death Valley. As tempers rise and the sun sets, the tension mounts to almost explosive consequences. It is when the night draws in that the sheer magnitude of the expansive basin gives the family space to breathe, their collective issues finally beginning to shrink into insignificance in comparison to what really matters in life. Strongly pigmented colour and watercolour paints highlight the texture of the paper beautifully, evoking both the rugged terrain of the landscape as well as the heightened emotional states that are at play throughout the film.

The use of animation language through figurative gesture and symbolic visual metaphor bring an immediacy and rawness to the film. It reminds the viewer of the aggravation that occurs when fighting with friends or family; like ink dropping onto freshly wetted paper, the emotional roots of the film spread quickly. The film captures the intensity of travel - both physical and emotional - and will alight in the audience a sense of ennui and perhaps a little wisp of anxiety for family trips of the past, as well as the awe-inspiring inevitably of nature's power over us all.”

— Laura-Beth Cowley