'Far From The Tree (2021)' is an animated short released alongside 'Encanto (2021)'. It tells the tale of a raccoon whose curiosity causes her to clash with her harsh yet protective father; years later, as she raises her own son, she comes to empathise with her father and the position her innocent outlook put him in. The short is generally a light and bubbly affair, but it also has moments of danger and darkness. It also makes some relatively keen points about parenthood, the suppression of curiosity and the cyclical nature of less-than-ideal upbringings. It's quite poignant and it often does things you don't really expect it to, using the non-speaking nature of its characters to convey just how intangible and difficult to discuss its themes truly are. The racoons are all really expressive and the piece does a good job when it comes to getting you to care about them. It also makes each of their outlooks seem crystal clear, allowing us to empathise with even the least conventionally likeable of them. The short is a mixture of 2D and 3D animation. From what I can tell, the characters are actually 3D models rendered to look like 2D drawings. I'm guessing that some of the background elements make use of traditional cel animation. Either way, the aesthetic is beautiful in a rather rustic sort of way. The animation is simple but effective, as is the sound design and music. Overall, this is a great little short. 7/10.
