A Letter to Father, by Christine Chong

A Letter to Father (2010), a short film by Christine Chong, is about a young man writing a letter to his late father. In the letter, he describes to his father the adventures he is having on a fantastical journey, and reflects sadness at his father not being able to share the journey.

Although the lead character seems to be a warrior of sorts, the film is more emotion-based than action based. The film’s one action sequence is nicely laid out with some beautifully designed lighting effects. But in the end, the story is held together by the young man’s reflections of his journey and uncertainty at how his life is progressing. This uncertainty achieves some resolve when he tears up the letters to his father in the end.

Christine’s style is clearly anime and manga-inspired, but with a painterly feel to it. She has a great attention to detail and a handle on anime’s cinematic abilities. A Letter to Father is Christine’s School of Visual Arts thesis, but the film does not stand alone. It is a summation of the first five books of her self-published manga, 2Masters. Christine continues to work on 2Masters (with additional fundraising). You can also check out her tumblr, where she posts both the progress of her books and other illustrations. Clearly one with many stories to tell, Christine Chong is someone whose work we should keep track of in the long run.

For more on Christine, check out her website at mayshing.com.