This film opens with an exuberant little girl so focused on her pursuit of what first appears to be a butterfly that she runs through the picnic her parents have laid. Ignoring their warning, she becomes even more determined to follow her prey when she realizes it is a fairy. Farther and farther she plunges into the forest, only to discover that she doesn't live in a fairy tale.
This film's slightly muted colors reminded Arthur Rackham's illustrations , which often depicted fairies. The costuming, which doesn't seem specific to a period or place, fits with the storybook aesthetic of this film. The director's eye for detail allows him to communicate tone shifts to the audience with great subtly. At the opening of the film, it appears to be late summer, early fall, but as Melissa strays farther into the forest the "seasons" change. She finds herself surrounded by bare branches lined by frost. These very light touches transform a simple tale of childish curiosity gone hideously astray into a beautiful and riveting short film.
This film's slightly muted colors reminded Arthur Rackham's illustrations , which often depicted fairies. The costuming, which doesn't seem specific to a period or place, fits with the storybook aesthetic of this film. The director's eye for detail allows him to communicate tone shifts to the audience with great subtly. At the opening of the film, it appears to be late summer, early fall, but as Melissa strays farther into the forest the "seasons" change. She finds herself surrounded by bare branches lined by frost. These very light touches transform a simple tale of childish curiosity gone hideously astray into a beautiful and riveting short film.