I enjoyed the short student film Baggage very much! It has great animation, a good story, and a nice message.
The story is about Reut, who is constantly told by her father that she doesn't have good style, that she needs to up her hair do, be more confident, and so on. But Ruth wants to find her own identity.
I like that this film talks about a topic that is very underrepresented. Many people are told by others what to do, while in reality you should really find your own identity. The story is very well-told and hooks viewers in while sending the message.
The animation is pretty appealing; I really enjoyed the line-drawing style. Kudos to the animators as their artwork suits the theme so well. The movements are very well done as well, and are engaging for the viewer. The backgrounds are excellent and really show us where the scenes take place. I especially liked the background at the party. The background music suits the film well and doesn't overshadow the dialogue. The character development is definitely the key element of this film. Each character is built very well, in a subtle but sure way. The dad starts out as a pretty rough sounding guy and Reut is a pretty timid girl. The personalities of each character are revealed in the opening minutes of the film. Reut makes the biggest change in character, encouraged by the woman at the hair salon, but her dad also makes a significant change at the end. My favorite part is the end, when Reut smiles and holds hands with the hair stylist and we see how she realizes that she has found her identity.
The message of this film is that it is up to us to find our own identity and that we cannot let others influence that.
I give Baggage 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. This would be great for a youth or family film festival. It offers the exact kind of message most families would like to teach their kids and has a pretty calculated plot. I think families would enjoy this kind of film very much. By Apurva S., KIDS FIRST!
Baggage is so beautiful! I like that it deals with an important matter about a young girl coming into her own and standing up to her dad. I also love that this film is from Israel, a country I really love. The dialogue is in Hebrew with English subtitles.
The storyline is about a girl named Reut, who is travels with her father to a new country for a family occasion, and in traveling with him, discovers her own identity.
I like how the film conveys Reut's identity discovery in a way that children can easily understand. I didn't care for Reut's dad's behavior throughout most of the film, but he changes at the end. The 2D animation is superb - not too fancy, but charming and has an interesting style using enhanced line drawings. The locations are also well designed and suitable for the storyline. The scenes at the hostel are particularly impressive. The background music works very well and depict Reut's emotions as she deals with her Dad's put-downs. Reut's character development is really the focus of this story. After her dad leaves her at the hair salon, she has a chance to explore who she is herself while the stylist treats her so kindly. The voiceover actors' performances stand out! Their voices really make these characters. The dad is such a grouchy old guy and Reut has a voice of a timid young girl just coming into her own. Congratulations to the voice over team. Kudos to Einat Keshet who directed, wrote and produced this short film. My favorite part is when they are at the party. When Reut's dad embarrasses her, she escapes to the ladies room and who rescues her but the woman from the hair salon who takes her back to the ballroom where her dad is dedicating a song to her. We see how much he loves her, but just doesn't always know how to express his love. I also love the scene at the hair salon when Reut gets her new hip hair style. That marks the beginning of her transformation.
The message is that we don´t have to hide who we really are, and sometimes help comes from the most unexpected people.
I give Baggage 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 18, plus adults. By Anna B and Julie S., KIDS FIRST!
The journey of Reut with her father, in which she forms her own independent identity.
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