"The Present" is a five-minute short film directed by Jacob Frey, which has accumulated over 10.5 million views.
Frey’s name probably doesn’t ring a bell for you either. Frey is a German animation expert who decided to venture into directing in 2008, although 2016 has been his year.
"The Present" has touched thousands of people with the beauty and simplicity of its story (besides being an absolute marvel graphically). But it brings tears to our aristopeters’ eyes (you’ve been warned) because it deals with a topic that, especially for us, touches our hearts.
It tells the story of a somewhat special boy who receives a gift that changes his life forever. At this point, if you haven't seen it, we encourage you to watch it, so you don't complain that we're spoiling the short film with the comments that will follow.
Moving, isn't it? And how much truth those five minutes contain. With hardly any need for words.
We have a boy obsessed with video games, grumpy and angry at the world. This boy receives a gift from his mother. A very funny and very special furry friend, as he is missing a leg. The boy, initially pleasantly surprised, is disappointed when he perceives the dog's physical deficiency. And he disdains it. But the dog, oblivious to his contempt, starts to play, to be himself, and little by little manages to get a smile from the boy. Until, of course, he ends up winning him over.
The dog shows the boy that, despite having mobility problems, there is nothing that stops him. He lives a normal life, doesn't lose his joy and energy, doesn't stop playing. The boy sees himself. And he understands that having a physical limitation should not lead him to isolate himself or turn his back on the world. Quite the opposite. And he decides to quit video games and go out into the world. To breathe, to play, to share his life with his dog.
This short film talks about three fundamental topics: the importance of adoption and how crucial it is, especially in cases like this little dog’s. If it weren't for the generosity and unconditional love that the boy's mother feels for pets, it is very likely that this dog would never have found a family (as happens to so many others, in real life).
The short film also talks about responsible pet ownership. In this case, the gift is not a whim or a trend. The mother gives the dog to her son knowing that it will play a fundamental role in the child's life: it will be his companion, always.
Finally, this short film reminds us of something that is increasingly emphasized. And that is that pets improve people's lives. It’s not that they make us better, it's that they help us. They help our body and, above all, our mood to be uplifted and our self-esteem to grow. Their unconditional love completes us.
For all these reasons, "The Present" short film has moved us all. When art is involved in a good cause and has a purpose, the impact is more powerful than anything achieved otherwise. So if you liked this video and believe it can help raise awareness, share it!