The Glassworker was born from a story by Usman Riaz and Moya O’Shea, with O’Shea taking on the screenplay and Riaz directing. This is the first independently produced feature-length animated motion picture from Pakistan… and it is hand-drawn to boot. The narrative and themes are straight from a Miyazaki film, while the character designs and settings resemble Julien Le Rolland’s work, specifically on the underrated anime Houdini. Does this homage do its inspirations justice, or is it a well-intentioned misfire?
“…Vincent focuses on his glassmaking and budding romance with Alliz…”
Vincent (Teresa Gallagher) has glass-blowing in his blood, as his father, Tomas (Art Malik), and deceased mother are/were glass artisans. The child’s grandfather was one as well. As an apprentice glassworker, Vincent does not attend school, which means he lacks friends. But one day, Alliz (Anjli Mohindra) moves to town, as her father, Colonel Amano (Tony Jayawardena), has been assigned to Waterfront as a strategic move to win the war. Alliz is entranced by the shapes and colors from the glasswork shop, and she and Vincent take an instant shine to each other. However, as the war drags on, Tomas’s pacifism makes him and, by extension, his son pariahs in town. But this doesn’t stop the violin maestro Alliz from cherishing her time with Vincent.
Years drag on, and the war seems to have no end in sight. The military eventually commandeers the glassworks to produce the necessary parts for their use. Tomas objects but acquiesces when Colonel Amano threatens Vincent. For his part, Vincent (Sacha Dhawan takes over as the adult character) focuses on his glassmaking and budding romance with Alliz, now that they are older. But the soldiers stationed around town bully him relentlessly and force him into uncomfortable situations. Will Alliz’s love and his artistic soul save Vincent? Or will the torment of the soldiers and the never-ending ravages of war wear down the man?
"…proves that 2-D, hand-drawn animation is an art form that will not die."
