Father and Daughter

I just finished watching this animation "Father and Daughter" over on google video. I first heard about it and its creator whilst reading Paul Wells "Drawing for Animation" (2008) which describes 'Father and Daughter' as Michael Dudok De Wit's finest work. I did enjoy watching it, I fond that it had a narrative that was compelling enough to keep me watching and found the metophoric death at the end of it very interesting. It seems to be a piece more about the creation of mood, atmosphere and in evoking an emotional response in the viewer. I cant see it drawing out as strong a response from everyone as it did with me. I was aware before watching it that Michael's intention was to create a piece about the feeling of longing. This may have influenced my opinion and the impact it had upon me.

"It was my aim to use the feeling of longing as the main emotion; in fact, that drove me to make the film in the first place. I find deep longing quietly painful, but also increadibly beautiful, and I thought: wouldn't it be amazing to make a film about pure longing?" Michael Dudok De Wit


This made me think of the work of Charlie Kaufman, in perticular "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Minde" a film that I would recomend to anyone for its near gut renching sense of longing and lonliness, and also some very stiking images and scenes.
For me personaly this feeling was enforced by the content of the animation. The use of a bycicle as a symbol to identify the rolling on and passage of time as a sort of internal rhythem spoke to me quite strongly. I am a keen cyclist and have a great many feelings and memories attatched to my experience of cycling. In perticular my summer before coming to university, which was characterised for me by lots of cycling late in the evenings and early mornings (which I realy- enjoyed), and a constant longing for change. Those feelings are summed up for me in an advetisement by Orange, "Ride" which features the song "Time to Let You Go" by the Funky Lowlives.


The Image of the bycicles lamp in the dark in "Father and Daughter" reminded me a little of this advert but it struck a stronger chorde with my own experiences of riding at night. It prompted a little laugh and a smile out of me whilst I was watching.