"Feral" by Daniel Sousa is an Oscar-Nominated short film about a wild boy living in the woods, found by a hunter who tries to reintroduce him into civilization.
The film has a simple painterly style that is chock full of texture and raw emotion. Whenever animations like this pop up, the artist in me is instantly drawn to them (no pun intended). It makes me want to seclude myself in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere, write The Next Great American Novel and not see another soul for weeks (and then, let's be real, probably go crazy like Johnny Depp in Secret Window). Feral's way of entrancing you on not only a visual level but on an emotional one is certainly impressive.
Daniel Sousa's undeniably kick-butt work is mesmerizing and very human. His first film ("Minotaur,"1998), has the same tone and attention to detail though it was made 15 years ago with all cut-out paper. Also impressive.
In his work, Sousa uses animation and themes commonly found in mythology and fairy tales to examine archetypes of human nature, and the inner struggles between our intellects and our unconscious drives. Rather than following conventional narratives, he approaches filmmaking from a painter’s perspective. He focuses on states of mind, evoking the fragility of fleeting moments, memories and perceptions. - DanielSousa.com
Simple, poignant, and understated, Feral captures the sense of total displacement the boy feels in his environment, all without words. Themes of captivity, society and freedom are woven throughout, making this an impactful and thought-provoking film. Totally worth the watch.
