In the 'extras' on the DVD release, the director relates that children playing unsupervised in nature (the forest, the pond) is a 'freeing' setting for them, an 'uncontrolled' environment to explore. Water is very important, as it is a highly visible medium in its many forms (including within or from underneath a surface), and it is necessary, sensual, and enjoyable, but also dangerous (the drowning), and evokes many emotions. Flowing water can also symbolize the passage of time. The dynamic of children relating to adults, not understating them or their actions, while seeing them as role models, is another dichotomy the director wanted to emphasize. Ambiguity and a 'dream-like' quality are also important elements of the film. She states they digitally enhanced or 'tweaked' colors in the film to 'non-realistic' tones, to achieve mood and lighting effect, particularly day for night shots. The director says she is not interested in explaining meaning: "... what I like in cinema is being lost. I like films I don't completely understand, so they stay with me longer after they're over," and, "I believe everyone can find their own stories within the film."
