Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“Shimmer” instantly carries you into a bleak dystopian–fantasy world, where the only sparks of warmth are Matías and Lucía, siblings stranded on a desolate shore with a man. If the children didn’t call him father, you’d never guess that the stern, joyless figure who denies them even the smallest pleasures was their dad. And that’s one of the messages of the short film: not everybody is meant to be a parent, and sometimes, they burn out the light in their kids.
Directed by Andres Palma, and written by Santiago Maza, “Shimmer” is about twenty minutes long and opens with a mysterious scene of Lucía throwing a flare from a cliff, while her little brother Matías playfully seeks her out to play. The siblings then joyfully indulge in some shadow play, before their father interrupts them and puts them to work.
“You only learn the worst from your sister.”
His first words in ‘Shimmer’ are cold, harsh, something you’d expect from a stranger. The siblings almost cower at his appearance. Which is why, until the kids refer to him as their father, one wouldn’t associate such a close familial connection between them.
Lucía plays the real parent to the imaginative Matías, while their father buries himself in a project he believes will secure their escape. He resembles the classic ‘mad scientist’ from sci-fi tales, driven so fiercely by his ambition that he neglects and damages those closest to him. So while he is busy working to ‘save’ his family, little does he realize that Lucía might not even want to be a part of his plan, and is working on her own ‘Plan B’.
The animation of ‘Shimmer’ is at par with major animation studios, and the characters have the classic big-doe eyes one sees in Disney films. The world building is unique, intriguing, and the viewer is left guessing until the end about the whereabouts of the family.
Matías’ character design stands out best in ‘Shimmer’ – an adorable little boy, in baggy clothes, and an astronaut’s helmet. They way he is dressed in ill-fitting clothes might be a subtle way to indicate how negligent the father is. Lucía and Matías seem content when left to themselves, but their smiles vanish the moment their father enters the scene. It is the older Lucía who bears the brunt of his extreme vision for escape and survival, since she understand the selfish nature of his obsession.
The last stretch of the film is a magical spectacle, alive with extraordinary beings and culminating in a powerful open ending. A definitive conclusion about what becomes of the children might have offered more closure, but perhaps the point is that children must choose their own direction when parents become too distant and overbearing.
Rating: 4 stars on 5.
Read Next: Mary Shelley Vs del Toro’s Frankenstein – 12 Differences (Audio Version Below)