A man and a woman walk along together and the man mentions that he wishes he was in the sky, on the top of the world, to which the woman replies that she will help him wherever he goes. From there, the woman runs around the ground, supporting a kite that soars through the sky; a kite ridden by the man. As the short goes on, the work of the woman becomes tiresome and lonely, as the man enjoys his flight without her.
Kite Story is only two minutes long, and there’s quite a bit open to interpretation. The biggest pivot point for the film depends on how you define their relationship. Are they a couple? Brother and sister? Just friends? There are nuances to how those relationships could inform your appreciation for the short. I prefer to see this as a tale about love, and the changing nature of relationships over time as the man achieves his dream thanks to the woman making good on her promise.
To which, I found it to be a surprisingly poignant animated short, that also made me laugh. The animation style is simple, and obviously it’s a short story, but it says so much more in two minutes than many films tackling similar ideas say in two hours. There’s growth in life, love and the constancy of change, all told with the help of a kite and the turnover of seasons.
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