I first saw this brilliant animated short film, ‘Alike’ in early 2017. As a dad living in Sydney, a city which strangles much of the life and energy of working people, this one got me right in the heart.
It speaks to an education system which churns out cookie-cutter replicants of professional office drones, conditioned to pass meaningless paper amongst each other.
What room is there for creative kids whose potential can’t be expressed within the confines of tests and repetition? Perhaps they’re labelled as absent-minded and incapable of following instruction?
Early notions of being a failure and a screw up can be internalised and get kids down. But how often we hear of people finding tremendous success as soon as they’ve left school and made their own way. Something is amiss.
This film shows a kid inspired by a lone colourful musician in the park amidst an ocean of despondent and grey nobodies.
The dad is doing his best, and has his own meaningless job to deal with. His son’s life and energy is what replenishes his own soul. But when that spark is snuffed out, both are lost. What can be more crushing than seeing your own child defeated by a system that’s already put your own dreams beyond reach.
What else to do but take a leap.
