aneliantova
People nowadays are always looking at either a romanticized version of the past that exists only in their minds, or at a bleak and terrifying "What if?". But very few focus on the present, on its wonders and horrors, and try to make it a better place worth living in. "Do you look at the world with the eyes of Vaysha the blind?" We should learn to live in the present and to value every little thing.I adore Georgi Gospodinov's works - not only his stories, but also his poetry and novels. Theodor Ushev has animated this story in such a brilliant and astonishing way and it is a pity that this movie did not won an Oscar. Kottarashky's incredible and extraordinary music makes the film even more touching and powerful.This movie is a masterpiece with a very strong message.
Kirpianuscus
dark atmosphere. shadows of the Balkanian myths. a simple story. with great impact. a parable. about the absence of present in many lives. and the right animation. because it is part of story in a so perfect manner than becomes itself the skin of the words. a film about the status of silhouette. because the past gives the hope, the future - the fall. between them - no bridge. and the bitter, harsh animation has the status to reflect this hole. doing "Blind Vaysha" a tool of wake up. because the girl is every viewer. memories against plans, projects and illusions, fears and too late. and this does the film a pure masterpiece. its cruel honesty about us. the lost of present . and the need to choose the right eye. a film about a gift. who defines our world so profound.
MartinHafer
This is one of two Canadian nominees (the other being Pear Cider and Cigarettes). It's sort of like a very, very dark modern fairy tale. It's a strange tale about a little girl born with two very strange eyes. Through one, she can only see the past and with the other she can only see the future. So, for example, when she sees an adult, they appear in one eye as a small child and in the other incredibly elderly and feeble. As to what all this means, well I was left wondering this when the film ended.As far as the animation goes, you'll either love it or hate it and it strongly accentuated the darkness of the story. It certainly is NOT a pretty film to watch and many of the animations are a bit horrifying to watch. Like too many shorts this year, I did wonder why it was nominated as well as feeling a bit depressed after seeing it.I think "Blind Vaysha" is very unlikely to take home the Oscar, as "Piper" is much more of a crowd pleaser and it s sweet little film...without the dark edges the other nominees all see to have in spades!
framptonhollis
I just came home from a wonderful screening of the Oscar nominated animated short films this year, and they all truly delighted me. However, this one was certainly the most impressive! The story is unique and powerful, it is both beautiful and surprisingly hopeless-and the simple yet breathtakingly effective way it is told is super refreshing! However, the main thing that this film has going for it is not its story nor its approach to said story, but its ANIMATION and, equally as important, its ATMOSPHERE. This is a creepy and melancholy little film that is beautifully and uniquely animated. This heavily stylized way of animation is perfect for this story and this atmosphere, it captures the darkness of its tone, its surprising sadness.If you have a couple of minutes to spare, there is no better way to spend those minutes than by watching this brief and haunting gem.
AD
