An animated short film titled Rite

Abstract

My thesis film Rite is a reflection of the emotional journey I experienced when my father passed away. The secondary protagonist, a young boy who is reeling from the loss of his father, must take up the mantle of leadership and become his tribe’s new chief. Many young individuals in his shoes often express emotional turmoil through anger. While he does want to be chief, his pain gets the better of him and he rejects the ultimate symbol of his tribe- his father’s battle helmet. This helmet is a symbol of his adulthood, as well as a significant cultural item of his people. His mother, a wise prophet, knows he must face his pain and become a better person even if it means confronting his greatest fear. Both characters are symbolic of myself at two very different stages of emotional healing in my life: the young boy reflecting a time when my father passed, and the wise mother reflecting my current state of well-being. However, it is very clear that the two stages do not understand each other, and must come together to make a complete person. This is present in the film as both mother and son must reconcile their loss together to move on and learn how to deal with their collective loss.