Testimony Review: The Importance of Nurturing Your Inner Child
"Why... why did he abandon me?"
Testimony is an animated indie short film about a young boy who was found alone in a castle by police and taken to a monastery to be mentally evaluated by a nun after alleging he lived with a vampire.
Emile, a shy, bright, peculiar boy, reminisces about his seemingly happy life with his vampire friend and caretaker, Charlie. We’re introduced to Emile at a young age, which is important because this feels like the most authentic version of him. He isn’t yet jaded by disappointment, nor does he write off the things that bring him joy, which may not be particularly normal.
Director Sumin Ha uses the landscape of Emile’s memories to bring Emile out of his shell (from under the table).
After Sister Angela goes on this journey with him and gains his trust, he finally sees her at eye level in real life. Something he may have only ever done with Charlie.
Within this film’s seven-minute runtime, we see Emile develop through his adolescence, experience disappointment, doubt his imagination, and be stripped of his innocence.
As sad as it is to see, it is not uncommon. Many people grow up and don’t maintain the things that bring them joy. And countless children don’t have the tools to navigate disappointment or understand that things are out of their control.
Testimony is a reminder that your inner child never leaves your side and to nurture it with resilience, confidence, adaptability, and advocacy. It’s also a testament to encourage and support the younger generations because their formative years shape their adulthood. In doing this, hopefully, seeds will be planted to avoid abandoning that inner child, in the same way Emile had to unlearn feeling abandoned by Charlie.
A beautiful work of art presented by the Brooklyn Film Festival. Check out the schedule for the final two days here.
Creative a kid alone
Nice story