Baggage

Greetings again from the darkness. Try to picture the emotional baggage you carry as the luggage you tote on your next flight. Actually, there is no need. In her first film, writer-director Lucy Davidson has crafted a clever and poignant animated look at this exact issue. Ms. Davidson was part of the Animation Department for last year's MEMOIRS OF A SNAIL, which has been Oscar nominated as Best Animated Feature Film. However, it's this zippy 5-minute short that will likely generate some soul-searching (as well as self-recognition).

With no dialogue, although sound plays a key role, the film features three girlfriends as their luggage goes through the required airport scans. As the conveyor runs the bags through the X-ray, we catch glimpses of what each lady's bag holds. The third and final bag shows that we don't always know the burdens our friends carry. The comedic element is obvious (the 'insecurity check'), yet this little film serves as a reminder for each of us to pay attention to the internal baggage and bottled-up emotions we carry.

Pay attention to what's weighing you down. When the emotional load is lightened, breathing becomes easier. What a terrific example of how powerful an expertly crafted short film can be.

BAGGAGE will screen in March at SXSW in the Animated Shorts block.

This is probably the first time I've seen this style of animation. The characters in Baggage look like they're made of plywood or cardboard-boxy, monotone in color, and cleverly designed as anthropomorphized pieces of luggage. It's a creative and unique concept, especially in the context of an airport baggage carousel and security check.

The story is simple: a couple of friends are taking a flight, but one of them is carrying more weight than the others. That extra weight eventually becomes an issue during the (in)security check-even though they try to hide it. Of course, the "weight" in this film isn't physical, but emotional. What we carry inside isn't always visible, no matter how heavy the burden.

It's a beautiful and meaningful idea, delivered in a visually original and thoughtful way.