Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
This is six minutes of cuteness, mixed with the tiniest sprinkle of dread, and a whole lot of wonder!
Only six minutes long, the animated short movie “Swing to the Moon” Marie Bordessoule, Adriana Bouissie, Nadine De Boer and Elise Drique is about a tenacious little spider trying to reach the moon.
The computer-generated imagery (CGI) in the movie is slick, sparkly, and engaging, particularly the character design of the protagonist—the itsy-bitsy spider. Even arachnophobes might find themselves drawn to the character, resembling an owl with big, curious eyes and a fluffy head. It’s almost reminiscent of a character from Angry Birds, but with a cheerful demeanor and eight legs.
From trying to hitch a ride with fireflies, to crossing dangerous human-laden roads, the spider tries all it can to reach the moon. A dreamy soundtrack adds a surreal layer of intensity to its goal, and will keep viewers rooting for the spider to finds its happiness. For a brief moment, the inspirational/magical tone of the film shifts to one of dark horror, and I find myself silently glaring at the screen, muttering, “You better not give that spider a sad ending!”. Spoiler-alert – there’s no sad ending. Yay.
“Swing to the Moon” is an endearing allegory for ambition, hard work, and dreaming big. It beautifully captures the essence of reaching for the stars and pursuing one’s aspirations with unwavering determination.
You can watch the film on YouTube.