In the Shadow of the Cypress
2023 · 20m · Iran
Directed by Hossein Molayemi, Shirin Sohani
Tones: contemplative, melancholic, tender
A dialogue-free animated tale of a daughter and her PTSD-suffering father living in isolation on the Iranian coast, whose fractured relationship is transformed when they must work together to save a beached whale.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Won the 97th Academy Award for Animated Short, dialogue-free, PTSD father and daughter saving a beached whale, six and a half years of independent production in Iran — the Oscar isn't always a reliable signal but the production circumstances are extraordinary. Yes.
Academy Award winner, six and a half years of independent Iranian production, geometric 2D with Persian motifs telling a wordless PTSD-and-beached-whale story — the Persepolis comparison is rare-earned company. Twenty minutes; the Oscar was correctly given.
20-minute dialogue-free geometric 2D animation with Persian motifs, produced independently in Iran over 6.5 years — and confirmed via YouTube title: 97th Oscars Animated Short Film WINNER. That's the most validation possible. Molayemi and Sohani's PTSD-father-and-daughter-saving-a-beached-whale film is canon now.
Reviews
A gentle, affecting story of kindness and compassion, In the Shadow of the Cypress is a work of art.
A mixed methods approach using mostly hand drawn animation with traditional Persian motifs keeps the focus on the narrative.
Festivals
- Venice International Film Festival 2023
- Tribeca Film Festival 2024
- Academy Awards (97th) 2025, Winner - Best Animated Short Film
- Animayo International Film Festival, Winner
- LA Shorts International Film Festival, Winner