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‘The Glassworker’ Review: Pakistan’s First Hand-Drawn Feature Feels Like an Homage to Miyazaki
Pakistan's Oscar submission — and also the country's first hand-drawn feature — mourns all that is lost in war.
Much of the story unfolds in childhood flashback, though it begins with young adult Vincent Oliver (Taimoor “Mooroo” Salahuddin) reading letters sent to him from afar by his first love and former school classmate, Alliz (Mariam Riaz Paracha). Despite Vincent’s own eventual pacifism, simply living in a world defined by war turns him bitter in the long run, a transformation the animators deftly capture through subtle details, like the worsening wrinkles beneath his eyes. The level of detail put into bringing the characters to life allows for a more reflective mourning on all that’s lost in war — from youthful innocence to the opportunities to better oneself (Vincent’s childhood bully ends up with a surprisingly meaningful role).
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