The film is divided into six chapters that sequentially tell the story of a child experiencing the realities of war and its material and psychological effects. Each chapter focuses on a specific and crucial period of the child’s narrative.
The protagonists of the film are the child and his constant companion, the fish, which plays a significant role in the child’s life and the events he undergoes. The six chapters of the film follow the chronological progression of the child’s journey, illustrating his growth with each new chapter, while also highlighting the noticeable changes in the fish’s influence on both the child and itself.
The film opens with a game of “Hide & Seek”, introducing additional metaphors that persist throughout the film, creating a parallel dramatic line alongside the unfolding events in the child’s life.
The film takes us from the beginning of the war to displacement, life in tents, migration, and asylum, mirroring the experiences witnessed during the ten years of war in Syria (as an example of the aftermath of war on societies) ، and what’s happening in Palestine (as an example of the ongoing war on societies، and what comes after it).
The project’s concept is, in its simplicity, a tale of many “children, the greatest victims of wars,” wherever these wars may occur. Children are often the most affected in the equation of victory or defeat because they inhabit a world far removed from the dualistic world of adults: fighter and casualty, victor and vanquished, etc.
Thus, it was necessary to enter the realms of these changes to observe them through the eyes of this category, “children,” and the impact of what happened on the world of a child clinging to innocence as a thread that allows him to follow his life and the aftermath of the unjust cruelty, namely, war.
Choosing this type of story that attempts to narrate events from a child’s perspective, and opting for the artistic form of animation to execute this narrative, is a simple attempt to leave a trace and, albeit modest, provoke thought about what we are living through. It’s important to note that animation is a unique artistic experience in itself, and this artistic form is one of the most expansive spaces for the artist, given the nature of animation that knows no bounds.
At the same time, the connection to the project as a duty of artistic expression sheds light on the reality of our lives, but from the artist’s perspective. Art and all forms of expression, regardless of their genres, remain a parallel thread to what is lived, as art is not separate from reality, and the artist, who is morally obligated to fulfill his artistic duty, cannot be detached from his reality.
Our region, as well as the world in general, has experienced direct and indirect impacts that have left their mark on its shape. Therefore, this reality had to be reflected in the artistic work. We could not close our eyes to what was happening, especially as we were forced to be both witnesses and victims at the same time.