To See or Not to See: Ian

Short films are an under-appreciated art form that have the ability to pack powerful messages within its condensed format. A perfect example of this is Ian, an endearing CGI animation about acceptance, grit, and inclusion.

Based on a true story, Ian is a young boy born with cerebral palsy. All he wants is to be friends with the kids at the fenced-off playground, but he’s confined to watching them play from afar, bound to his wheelchair. Unable to walk, Ian is determined to join them. He attempts to get past the fence, only to have his body disintegrated into pieces and blown back to his chair. While he’s initially ostracized and bullied by the children, Ian wins them over with his tenacity, and together they try one more time. It’s unsuccessful as all the children are broken into bits and swept to the other side, a subtle message that we’re all the same.

Directed by Abel Goldfarb and produced and written by Gastón Gorali, Ian is a moving short that explores the harsh realities that children with disabilities encounter. It’s certainly a stand-out of 2018.