Short film is one of my favorite art forms. It takes the same spectacle and wonder of cinema and gives us a bite size version. Since there is a shorter time to tell a story, everything has a purpose and meaning. It gives me the same feeling that I get watching a full feature film. One that stands out to me is “Canvas”, a silent film recounting a story about overcoming the pain of loss and dealing with grief with help from family.
“Canvas” is about a grandfather with a passion for painting, but who stopped after his wife died. Everywhere he is reminded of his previous love for creating and even sees signs to paint, but stops himself. His granddaughter comes to visit him every day and he leaves her to draw pictures every time she is there. She tries to get him to draw with her, but he declines. One day, she finds the room where he keeps all his paintings, particularly the one of his late wife. He starts to get angry, but stops as he sees his wife in the painting. He sees a vision of her embracing him and he decides it is time to take to the easel.
My favorite part is at the end where the grandfather realizes he wants to paint again and he sits at the easel outside once more, where he painted the love of his life, and hesitates. You can see the pain in his eyes as he debates once again whether he should keep going. His granddaughter and his daughter stand beside him in solidarity, and it is only then he takes the first stroke. It shows the strength of family and how it takes time to heal, but our passions will always be there––even if we lock them up, waiting for us when we are ready to come back.
Just because this part of us is waiting for our return does not mean that it won’t take time to relearn the fine aspects. Just as the grandfather is relearning his love of painting, he is relearning the support and love of family after distancing himself from them. Grief is a process, but it's not one that a person needs to take alone all the time. When you restart a hobby, you can be clumsy and make mistakes, but that should not stop you doing what you love. As grief is a process, renewal is also, but the end result is worth the struggle.
This beauty is available on Netflix with a bounty of other short films. So when you have some spare time on your hands, such as eight minutes, it’s the perfect time to relax and enter the world of Canvas.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.