In the Shadow of the Cypress facts for kids

In the Shadow of the Cypress (which means Dar saaye sarv in Persian) is a short animated film from Iran. It was made in 2023 by directors Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani. The film is about 20 minutes long. It tells a story about dealing with very difficult memories from the past. The film first showed at the 80th Venice International Film Festival in 2023. It later won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2025.

The Story of the Film

A Quiet Life Changes

This film tells a story without any talking. It is about a former captain who lives with his daughter. They live in a lonely house by the sea. The captain has a very difficult memory from the past. This memory makes him feel upset and angry sometimes.

One morning, the father becomes very angry. He damages their house and pushes his daughter. She decides to pack a suitcase and get ready to leave. But then she steps outside. She finds a large whale stuck on the beach near their home.

Trying to Save the Whale

The father and daughter try to help the whale. They use their small motorboat to pull it back into the water. But their efforts do not work. The whale is too big and heavy.

The father feels frustrated. He goes back to his old, broken ship. This ship is anchored close to the whale. Even though the ship is in bad shape, he loves it. He keeps painting it and living inside it.

A Painful Memory

The father then has a very sad memory. He remembers when his ship was bombed at sea. This happened when his daughter was very young. His wife, the daughter's mother, died in that incident. This memory makes him very upset.

Meanwhile, his daughter takes care of the whale. She gives it water and protects it from the hot sun. A group of seagulls tries to attack the whale. The father had a panic attack from seagulls earlier. He first scares them away with his rifle. But then, in his anger, he tries to shoot the whale. His daughter quickly pushes him away. She falls to the ground, very sad that they cannot save the whale. Seeing her upset makes the father think. He goes back to his ship.

A New Plan and Freedom

In the morning, the daughter looks out the window. She sees her father doing something surprising. He is sinking his own ship on purpose. He ties the ship to the whale's tail. This is his new plan to finally save the whale.

The plan works, and the whale starts to move. But the father struggles to free the whale from the rope. The daughter tries to dive into the water to help him. She cannot reach him. Luckily, the father eventually floats to the surface. He has finally let go of his old boat. The freed whale swims away into the ocean.

Awards and Recognition

In the Shadow of the Cypress has received many important awards. On March 2, 2025, the film won the Best Animated Short Film award. This was at the 97th Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars.

See also

In Spanish: In the Shadow of the Cypress para niños