Thank You, Mom

By: Gladys Luna

By the pages of a journal, we are led step by step across the life of a young girl and all the way into her adulthood as she navigates through different and crucial stages of her existence. In the animated short film Thank You, Mom, we become firsthand witnesses of how the events we experience during our childhood can determine what we become as adults and influence the way we experience and perceive life itself.

Through different poems lovingly devoted to her mother, a young girl finds a way to express her emotions and to make sense of her reality and life-changing events such as her father’s demise and her mother’s attempts to rebuild their life and estrangement. The affectionate and kind manner with which the character tells her story from a place of compassion makes this short film one that will keep you holding your heart in your hand.

This short film feels as a caress to the heart as the story unravels and we see the main character make amends with her past and suffering. My favorite part comes when at the end, she makes a recollection of her own journey but now from a healing perspective and under a different state of mind.

Director Michaela Ternasky-Holland makes use of animation and AI to bring this story to life in a timely and heart-wrenching manner. As we explore the main character’s fears, doubts and questions, we are able to reflect ourselves in her life story and quest to find the answers she needs in order to restore her life.

Thank You Mom is a story about grief, family, love and healing that you should not miss. In this film we are shown that with time and effort, always comes healing. I completely recommend to watch this short film.