In the Shadow of the Cypress (2024)
In the Shadow of the Cypress Review
In the Shadow of the Cypress is a 2024 Iranian animated short film. It’s a pretty dark, but artistic short.
A former captain, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, lives with his daughter in a humble house located by the sea. Together, they live an isolated life and have to confront the challenges of a harsh life. There have been numerous animated short movies dealing with trauma released in recent memory, so this one is nothing new in terms of subject and basic plot. It’s overly dark, though it has its fleeting moments of hope and perseverance.
A lot of the power of this short comes from its animation. The visuals are mesmerizing. This is the type of simple yet very effective style that worked within the context of the narrative. It flows well, it’s gorgeously scored and I didn’t feel its somewhat longer runtime at all. More development should have been given to its two characters, but their stories are quite heartbreaking and some of the imagery is impressively artistic and poignant, especially those concerning that poor whale and that ominous ship.
