Vestige

“It’s a beautifully crafted short film with deep meaning and raw artistic expression that wouldn’t look out of place in an exhibition…”

An artist in search of her long-lost childhood friend, walks through the war-torn and forgotten hometown of her past. The contrasting lives of these two women unfold, revealing their sorrows and loss in a bittersweet light.

We had to give this stunning animated film from director Yu-Hsuan Teng several watch throughs as there was so much to take in and it’s a breath of fresh air within the student film category that typically focussed on hard hitting drama. Teng not only took on a challenging story, but made it in a way that will surprise audiences.

Before we even talk about the time this film must have taken, it’s worth noting that Teng handled the illustrations and animation herself. Something that will leave a lot of experienced filmmakers scratching their heads as to how it was achieved to such a high standard.

The story is influenced by Teng’ Taiwanese upbringing and Japanese anime which makes for an original concept that will capture the attention of audiences young and old. It’s respectful of the anime art form and demonstrates Teng’ ability and understanding.

The animated graphic novel design is very original and executed to the highest quality. Every frame is intricately sketched and captures deep emotion, allowing the audience to really engage with the story without needing exposition or dialogue.

The film flows seamlessly without cutting for the entire run time to keep the story progressing. The use of transitions and camera movement between the meticulous frames keeps your attention and adds an urgency to the story but knows when to slow down. If you pay close attention, you’ll notice how many intricate elements are being used to create what can only be described as a moving painting. It’s impressive and shows good promise for this talented filmmaker.

The score had a high benchmark to keep up with the depth of story and designs. Teng chose wisely by bringing on composer Gage Behnkendorf who created a memorable and fitting soundtrack that elevated the visuals further. The beautiful cello piece from Emanuel Pavon creeps in and acts as an emotional beat for the film that helps to express the lead characters inner feelings. Considering the amount of short films we review, it’s rare to find classical instruments used in the score. Especially ones performed so perfectly as this.

It would be easy to go into the finer details about why we loved this film so much but we’d rather you make the effort to see it yourself. It’s a beautifully crafted short film with deep meaning and raw artistic expression that wouldn’t look out of place in an exhibition. So what are you waiting for, give it a watch…

— APEX Film Awards