The story line shows three little mouse deer, siblings, happily living in Cucumber Village until the little brother's ball is pecked flat by a mean chicken and the two sisters try to find a way to bring back the brother's smile.
I like how we see the two girls are playing together by making drawings of mountains and paddy fields. The images of the girls and their artwork are all made from cut outs like shadow puppets. When their little brother's ball is pecked flat, his tears appear as black or shadow droplets flowing from his head. All of this is a very clever way to animated typical characters and drawings of shadow puppets. And, it makes this artistic style adapt for a younger and international audience, one that may not be familiar with shadow puppetry. Yes, the drawings of the outfits are just right for the setting of the short movie. Additionally, the backgrounds are also made in shadow and go well with the story. The music is key in this short film, as every step of the movie a different song accompanies the children's activities. The key cast members are Tisa Julianti and Aisyah Syairaazahra Hariyadi who voice the children in the film. Their voices are very childlike, which makes their characters believable. The language is in Indonesian, with English subtitles. I applaud Daud Nugraha, who is the producer, director and writer of this short film. My favorite part of the film is when the children are playing with the ball and accidentally hit the chicken and the chicken tries to chase after them. I also really love the song at the end. It's very childlike and sweet.
The message of the film is to be creative and play with your family.
I give Desa Timun (The Cucumber Village) 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 12, because of the subtitles. If you have a reader at the film festival, then, it would work for younger kids, ages 2 to 8. By Keila V. and Julie S., KIDS FIRST!
The story line shows three little mouse deer, siblings, happily living in Cucumber Village until the little brother's ball is pecked flat by a mean chicken and the two sisters try to find a way to bring back the brother's smile.
I like how we see the two girls are playing together by making drawings of mountains and paddy fields. The images of the girls and their artwork are all made from cut outs like shadow puppets. When their little brother's ball is pecked flat, his tears appear as black or shadow droplets flowing from his head. All of this is a very clever way to animated typical characters and drawings of shadow puppets. And, it makes this artistic style adapt for a younger and international audience, one that may not be familiar with shadow puppetry. Yes, the drawings of the outfits are just right for the setting of the short movie. Additionally, the backgrounds are also made in shadow and go well with the story. The music is key in this short film, as every step of the movie a different song accompanies the children's activities. The key cast members are Tisa Julianti and Aisyah Syairaazahra Hariyadi who voice the children in the film. Their voices are very childlike, which makes their characters believable. The language is in Indonesian, with English subtitles. I applaud Daud Nugraha, who is the producer, director and writer of this short film. My favorite part of the film is when the children are playing with the ball and accidentally hit the chicken and the chicken tries to chase after them. I also really love the song at the end. It's very childlike and sweet.
The message of the film is to be creative and play with your family.
I give Desa Timun (The Cucumber Village) 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 12, because of the subtitles. If you have a reader at the film festival, then, it would work for younger kids, ages 2 to 8. By Keila V. and Julie S., KIDS FIRST!
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