Drago
2024 · 16m · USA
Directed by Daniel Zvereff
Tones: contemplative, melancholic, tender
A young boy dreams of becoming a doctor, but war forces him and his mother to flee their village and start a new life in New York City, where three generations grapple with displacement and sacrifice.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Charcoal-on-paper immigrant drama, Sundance premiere — the tactile look could be devastating, but I've been burned by 'displacement story rendered in dust' more than once. Sami Jano scoring is a vote of confidence.
Zvereff's charcoal-on-paper approach to intergenerational displacement positions him in the William Kentridge lineage, with the Sundance world premiere and Rooftop Films Fund confirming serious institutional support. A film of evident formal seriousness.
Sundance 2024 world premiere for a 15:51 charcoal-and-willow-charcoal-on-paper animation about immigrant displacement — that medium choice is genuinely uncommon and the smudgy tactility is going to map directly to the emotional bruising. Sami Jano scoring plus solo violin by Zachary Mezzo is a serious craft team.
Reviews
While the narrative does not shine through its originality, its authenticity is what makes it so poignant, with Zvereff succeeding in creating an incredible bond between his short and its audience.
The film serves as a beautiful love letter to all the immigrant parents that have sacrificed a lot to provide a better situation for their kids.
Festivals
- Sundance Film Festival 2024
- Palm Springs International ShortFest 2024
- Florida Film Festival 2024
- Rooftop Films 2024
- Denver Film Festival 2024
- Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival 2024