I noticed the water came every time he almost started to feel happy. Like he didn’t feel like he was allowed to experience joy because of what happened.
It’s not ability; rather, it is the scars of indulging in destructive actions under depression which has marred him, and made him unrecognizable. The water is depression. When he experiences the good parts of life, the depression sinks into the distance.
I think it’s a bit of the opposite- it’s not coping but rather he has lost the ability to breathe on land (live as a normal person). He feels his guilt is a part of him, and he must drown in it as a way of life. That’s why he has a compulsion to dip his head into it, and why it always grabs him when he’s trying to live normally. That’s why he thinks talking about it won’t help: it’s simply a reality for him.
this is how survivor's guilt feels, when someone dies and you're left to cope. i know that guilt is mostly associated with surviving after a traumatic event when others die, but i think you go through something similar when someone close to you dies and you have to live. after all, part of the guilt is that you get to live and they don't. maybe you feel that they deserved to live more than you. and even if you couldn't have really saved them, you still blame yourself that you didn't do something that would have made everything turn out different. you no longer have the support of that person that would have helped you through things. unless someone experiences such a thing, the people that try to offer support cannot come close to offering real help. sad and beautifully done
This is a familiar experience unfortunately. My partner was 31 when he suddenly and tragically died from an unseen growing infection in his body. He had a abcsess in his frontal lobe drained and didn't survive in recovery from surgery. He was like a lighthouse in a storm of hurt for me. He encouraged me to break free from the guilt and painful grief I was carrying over something dreadful in my life. He wanted to live a long life. I have visited those thoughts of him deserving to live instead of me. I know that is untrue and he'd never want me to believe such thoughts. But they come out of the dark at times like these cold watery claws. It's part of "the work" to not drown in the past. All we have is now.
Guilt is one of the five stages of grieving. I know when my grandfather died from cancer I first felt relief and immediately after felt the guilt. That guilt followed me for a while after that. Anytime I laughed or felt an ounce of joy, it would be followed by guilt bc I thought it was too soon or wrong for me to experience happiness when others were still deeply grieving.
This is one of the most horrifying stories I've seen or read since I was a kid. The things children do to others in their naivety, and the guilt that follows for the rest of their lives is too real. Incredible visual style and deeply moving at the end.
the importance of color really got me in this one. i love how everything is cold, except for the children, the fish they saved, and the woman. to me the yellow represents happiness, good memories, and at the end he gives up the most yellow element in his life to go after a fading happiness, something that brings up good memories but is also tied to the sadness of what happened. amazing movie!
You know, thank you for your comment...I thought I'd gotten "all of it," and it spoke to me for my own personal reasons as it seems to have for most of us, but somehow I totally missed the significance of them saving a fish, and the meaning of that when tied in with the rest of the story. I never would have gotten this if not for your comment. The story is plenty good without that, it would have been fine, I'd still get the point, but your comment and going back to replay that part really enhanced it for me. Thank you
And, I second your comments about color!! That stood out to me also. And, texture. Look at the materials and how rough the texture of the water is, whereas the golden fish is smooth, the kids are smooth, the woman is smooth...any time the colors are bright, the textures are also smooth...
@@Abigail-hc2sq omg you're welcome!!! i love discussing movies after watching them because then we can notice things we haven't while watching it and listen to others' interpretations inside their own life experiences. i'm glad to know my comment added to your reading of the movie in some way!
@@caprituna I'm like that too, and at first I debated if I should comment or if it would be yet another "annoying notification," to someone, but then I figured if you took the time to comment, you're somewhat like that as well :D Funny how the internet CAN be used for good things, even if mostly it seems to be used for bad sometimes!!! Have an awesome day!!!
@@Abigail-hc2sq you're so sweet!! have a nice day as well! 🥰 sometimes it's good to "annoy" by making ourselves be heard, our presence can make someone's day better as you just made mine!
What I particularly got from this: He and his sister went to play on a pier when suddenly his sister had a seizure, he didn't know what was going on or what to do, for the boy, the convulsive movements that his sister made were like a drowning fish, so he, being a kid, pushes her in the water hoping that it can help her just like the fish, which of course doesn't work, and she drowns. The guilt and the mourning remains with him and keep chasing him for decades, even as an adult, represented by the water that constantly follows him like a monster, the adult version of his sister is probably a representation of him trying to get over it and move on, telling himself it wasn't his fault, after all he was just a kid who didn't know what he was doing, but no matter how calm things get for a while, the "water" always eventually comes back to haunt him. When he "saves" the adult version of his sister, means that what's done is done, he can't fix it, nothing will ever change what happened, and that's when he realizes he'll never get over it, and finally decides to kill himself by drowning. In the last few seconds, two fish are shown swimming together, representing his soul reuniting with his sister's.
I believe the woman he saved is his wife/significant other. It shows how grief can affect those around us as well. Rather than let her be consumed by his grief as well, he freed her from it by taking his own life, giving in to his grief once and for all.
It’s scary, you don’t want to drown, but when you can’t trust yourself, the knowledge you can’t drag others down with you, that’s the only comfort you can find.
he was dumb and thought she looked like a drowning fish. what helped one won’t save another. (she kinda looked like she was drowning, it could have been drowning. a panic attack even.)
I think him pushing his sister in the water wasn’t literal but just a metaphor for him either not being able to save her or being part of what caused her to pass bc he was a child and didn’t know how to handle the situation because I think as a whole water is a metaphor in this I don’t think there was ever really any water just represents the guilt
Oh this was painful! I carry a guilt. In 1995 my fiancé was at work and he passed quickly of a heart attack. A month earlier I took him to the hospital. All the tests came out negative. He insisted on leaving. The doctor warned me he should stay. But Mike wanted out so we left. I made sure he took his heart pills. Would he have survived if he stayed? A would he have passed anyway. I told him once if he ever died before me I’d commit suicide to be with him. He said we wouldn’t know each other on the other side. Do you want that? I said no. No more talk about dying he said. But what I admired about him was that he let me say it. What I didn’t know was how strong a bond we had. I lived in the apartment he moved things into but never got to live in, for five years. I had phone grief counciling then in person counciling. It didn’t stop my guilt or depression. Mike decided he’d try to comfort me, and knowing I was a Sensitive he did things. He’s whisper in my ear. He’d run a finger down my nose as he did in life. He’d turn his pictures face down. He never manifested as an apparition. I told him of the time I saw one that scared me so Mike didn’t. But I told him he was scaring me. So he came in dreams. We’d walk on a beach hand in hand saying not a word. Or I’d be in a white glowing room, he’d be standing there staring at me until I saw him and disappear. I can’t control my dreams. All I know is when I start missing him a lot he comes then I feel better for a year or two. I sleep in the bed I helped him make. One night I felt his hand on my side to calm my restlessness before I pushed it off. He’s still watching over me. But the guilt is still there. Would he still be alive had I insisted he stay in the hospital when he wanted to go. He was 41. I long ago smoked his last pack of cigarettes. He had upper dentures and his parents gave me them. I feel like I should’ve made him stay in that hospital. I went through two years of depression after he passed. The cat at the time I had helped me through it. I think Mike knew it was his time. He sent me home after I had lunch with him at his work. He never did that before. He knew I saw my father pass in hospice and Mike didn’t want to put me through it. I still remember our last words before ai left. “You love me?” Mike grinned and said “I’ll think about it.” and he gave me a big hug. I sensed something was off. I waited in the parking lot. Go in? Go home? We were living with his folks at the time until the apartment was all set. I left. My Michael knew it was his time. So he had nothing against me being released from the hospital instead of insisting he stay. Doesn’t stop my guilt.
I am sorry for mike and for you Think it is better to move from his town And fill your time by social work like some charity association or an orphanage I am sorry if my words look hard but I am really very sorry for both of you
personaly the more i fall into my depression the more it hurts to be around others, the less i care about my own health and future, and this hurts the person who cares most for me, progress is slow and always under threat of being lost.
@@shardinhand1243 being a fish myself, I hope you find the love for yourself again- you deserve it. You deserve to share it with others. It's hard, but help makes it easier- please reach out for help. Stay fishy
He accidentally killed his sister after pushing her into the sea when she had a siezure on the pier. Her seizing reminiscent of the fish on dry land they referenced. I see the fish head as his mind being consumed by what he'd done in the past & the water chasing him being symbolic to him drowning in guilt & depression. The yellow woman, seeming a lover or confidant of some sort, when faced with being unable to save him from his past & grief, too began to be overcome by the water. He ultimately kills himself, reuniting in death with his sister & the yellow woman ultimately free of trying to save him. - her obvious purity & brightness could be symbolic of happiness, warmth, goodness; an opposite to the dark cold water. 🤷♀️ Overall beautiful story telling & craftsmanship. Well done.
Pensei exatamente a mesma coisa, mas para mim, a água simboliza o objeto de alívio que buscamos quando nos conectamos com sofrimento, os braços que saem da água representam sua incapacidade de resistir à busca por alívio, ou seja, compulsão. Ele tenta esconder dela , mas em algum momento sempre se tornam evidentes nossos vícios e fraquezas e é nessa hora em que a água invade a sala que ela percebe, então começa a sofrer e se afundar junto com ele porque ela o ama do jeito que ele é, apesar dos pesares. Então ele percebe o que está acontecendo e se redime, abandonando-a e entregando-se aos vícios, para não prejucá-los, sua morte prematura é representada pelos dois peixinhos que aparecem no final. Muito lindo.😿
This whole representation was devastatingly artistic and representative of so many struggles I face daily. Thank you for putting in the heart and the work to bring a better understanding of grief and guilt to the audience that we pray never has to endure it.
Damn. This tore me up. Yesterday I found out a friend died by suicide. Today is the 3rd anniversary of my dad's death. I needed this. Thanks, algorithm.
Guilt can be truly all consuming. You hate yourself for whatever you did (or think you did) and part of wants so badly to be punished to somehow right the scales of the universe. But the problem with most guilt is that as an adult there is no easy answer. You aren’t a child anymore who can be put in time out and when you get up all is forgiven. As we grow older our mistakes feel like they grow larger and apologies seem hollow… sorry to be grim. Story hit me hard… I struggle with guilt constantly. For a long time i felt as this guy felt that the weight of my guilt was unforgivable, that I therefore deserved the misery I felt… even though what I had “done” was all in my head
I love the whole metaphor of this short film, the fact that it portrayed so well the feeling of guilt without even saying it, the visuals are amazing. The character being a fish and being able to swim through its own pain and throwing their love ones into it by blaming themselves. but her not being able to swim as him, bc she's not a fish and she doesn't belong to the water. Them being apart, damn.
Recovering from an addiction to diffrent opioids looks like this for me. Accept the somewhat sad but peaceful ending symbolically for me looks like the high I get when I relapse. I always feel so guilty about it. It's not fair to other people. This is what walking in my shoes feels like. Thank you for this beautiful peace of art!
One of the best animation films I’ve seen and I’ve seen a lot! So true, well observed - sometimes it’s even hard to observe these things if you are the fish. The part where the girl was laughing and saying how good it was to see you laugh because she had pulled you into her world and that’s what she wanted to see. The understanding of this film and amazing animation …. just OUTSTANDING
I like the saying: "Treat people with kindness, you never know what they are going through." Maybe we should add to it: "... and you never know what they have lived through." Beautiful video.
Very impressed with this artistically. The water being made out of cloth worked so well, and that scene near the beginning where he scoops up the water and puts it back in the sink was so creative. Really goes to show what you can do with a medium when you know how to use it.
He grew up in the “ocean”(or a traumatic home) and developed to survive in it. He wanted to be better for her but he couldn’t change his nature. He didn’t want her to drown in his trauma responses, he didn’t want her to be dragged into the ocean where he had learned how to survive. He’s a fish. She’s not.
Thank goodness i quit doing drugs in the 1970s.if i would have seen this on some psychedelic,i might still be scarred to this day... But i like this,and my compliments to the talents and creativity of whoever made it
I feel like the water represents the guilt, always near and louder at times but always there looming in the background. When he saves the woman in yellow the guilt stops him from getting out almost as if to say “ you need to face this and you can’t avoid it forever” so he stays and faces his guilt and in that maybe finding peace about what happened to his sister.
My interpretation. Unburdening the waters of emotion through expression. Being saved by voice and flow and having two hands lift you back into the waters way. Too becoming what you had flowed. Like I mean this as if you tell a friend the grief of them too feeling what you felt. When someone knocked it’s like the waters way turned down and the emotions stopped flowing. In my body I felt the coldness. Like it was like oh back to that. Back to base. When we have both water and soul. Water and earth. Mothers nature being there to hold hands with water and have the emotions take root. The entire scene around him changed. Stop stop. It’s nice to hear your laugh she said. This brought again the water this time with a purpose until he starts to question how in the world is it controlled. Like he would look at it with the squint between his eyes in disbelief. Releasing the fear through the fountain. Letting it consume him. Before in this imagination he had seen all as parts of him and now identifying as the final man. Final boy and fish. The scene of him confused and muttering in the fountain. Well what a sad ending. They were together in nature. Would’ve liked to have seen them together as humans. He needs to tame his animal inside. The fish of disbelief. 10/10. 11/1 if the little lady got her lad
I just can't believe it! The ending just broke my heart! The fishboy could've just grabbed his friend's hand and just move on from his guilt, but no! He just had to go into the water! And what's even more heartbreaking is that we'll never know what gonna happen next! It's very sad to see how our character has turned out! If he didn't stay in the water forever, he could've just stayed with his friend, so that way, he could try other coping mechanisms so he can move on from his past! And when I mean "coping mechanism", I mean that in the form of a song. When love is young, as fresh as dew A song is sung, so warm and new It winds its way, bursts into blue An April day turned into June Summer is born I walk the fields, there's warmth above The thought it yields is of my love A lazy stream, its solitude A summer dream, a quiet mood Plays on my mind The summer of a young girl's life Is meant for love not pain or strife A time for change (A time for change), a time to stay To rearrange for another day Another day (Another day, another day) (Another day, another day) (Another day, another day) Another day
He suffered loss and pushed it away (the fish at the beginning). Then over time, the guilt becomes like the waves and comes and goes, but always comes back, sometimes with bigger waves. The girl witnesses his guilt and at one point experiences it herself. She cannot understand the pain and guilt he has. He realizes he feels like a fish out of water (so to speak) and would be better off distancing himself. He chooses to live within his own sea of guilt. That’s my interpretation anyways :)
i think the fish represents how like it struggled to breathe but you could save it. but with the sister you couldn't. so the water is him crying and mourning! and he tries to hide his tears and puts them away. Him putting his head in the water is a reflection of him sinking into the past and remembering what happened-- so he cries. and when someone comes and knocks on his door he doesn't tell them what he's going through. NOWW then i figured out that he pushed his sister in the water. so the fish really just was something that made him think to push his sister in the water (WHAT BAFOONARYYY) And so the thing i said about him drowning in his problems so far seems accurate. lets keep going and see! now he is in the fountain.. my goodness. I FEEL SO BAD! but still thats him feeling guilty drowning in his problems and she's comforting him. OH MY GOODNESS now they're both drowning. I'm telling you this is them getting sad and drowning in their problems gosh this is relatable- oh... he didn't get over his problems. INSTEAD- HE STAYED IN THE WATER. So basically she's the one who got out and healed from her trauma BUTT he did not. I KNOW U SEE THAT COMMENT SAYING HE KILLED HIMSELF! but i don't think thats it, but if it is i would be so sad
what I personally see here, is my relationship with my boyfriend. Well... ex boyfriend. We broke up a few days ago because we couldn't cope with our hard pasts. Toxic coping mechanisms were destroying our love, which was the strongest feeling I experienced in my whole life. We did a lot of unintentional hurt to each other. Now, maybe, we'll heal. Or we will continue this endless circle of guilt, shame, hatred and fear. Who knows. Sometimes splitting is the only way to show pndestranding and love. This is what I've also read from this animation. The split was at this point the only healthy way to deal with it.
(This is in the description) Anita Bruvere shared with us that “the idea was born from the image of a man with a fish head instead of a human head”. From that starting point, with screenwriter Bethe Townsend, they started thinking about what life would be like for this character and built their narrative around that premise. Explaining that the film is essentially “a couple having a conversation about their relationship, but shown in a metaphorical way”, the director adds that she “wanted to explore the themes of loss and guilt and how those feelings can affect people around the person experiencing those feelings”. In the conversations between the on-screen couple, guilt almost becomes a character with a physical presence, as Bruvere effectively makes the audience “visualise what the couple feels”. While the narrative is quite specific, the metaphor allows everyone to experience the film in their own way and potentially relate to some of its aspects differently. As Bruvere explains: “I’m interested in connecting the personal to the universal and in telling stories that use unconventional narratives to create a strong sensation or feeling for the viewer”. Ultimately, Fishboy is a universal enough story that the majority of viewers should find it emotionally engaging. However, by approaching and developing the story from the partner’s perspective as well it subverts expectations, becoming less conventional and more powerful, especially with that ending.  “I wanted the film to feel quite tactile, and there are a lot of different textures” - Bruvere on her approach to production With such an ambitious screenplay, an equally impressive level of craft was needed to bring the filmmakers’ vision to the screen. Thankfully, Bruvere, an experienced stop-motion animator, does not disappoint and her textured approach is an essential component in the success of the short. Using both the puppet stop motion and the paint on glass techniques gives a visual depth to this metaphoric tale and enhances its emotional depth. With the paint on glass scenes capturing the memories in two dimensions, the present is represented in a more palpable way with the puppets. Bruvere confesses that representing the sea was challenging, as it illustrates much more than a simple body of water, describing it as “comforting and suffocating at the same time”. The result is nothing short of breathtaking, her depiction serves the story on the deepest level by being more effective and visceral than any spoken or unspoken dialogue between the characters.
I never really thought about it until I saw this?? But I'm definitely going to make my kids know that there's a HUGE difference between a fish flopping because its out of water n an epileptic seizure 🐟 this is ONE trauma i can stop from happening
I had a dream once of people turning into monsters that represented their issues. I eventually turned into a kid of sea creature, because of guilt. And in the dream, it was pretty clear i had GILLS because of the GUILT (thank you for the pun subconcious) So yeah, this made me remember that
I’m gonna type what I hear because subtitles still aren’t up: First scene: (Water splashing, Fish Boy gasping for breathe when he lifts his head from the sink, girl gasping when she falls on dock, eerie violin in background) Girl: (knocking) Girl: “Hey…you know I’m always here to talk to.” Fish: (sigh) “pointless, talking, won’t help.” Girl: (laughing) Fish: “What?” Girl: “Nothing” (chuckles) Fish: “what are you laughing at?” Girl: “it’s just been a while since I’ve seeen you so ungloomy” Fish: “how are you so kind?” Girl: “I think I might have just been born amazing.” Fish: (chuckles) Girl: “it’s so good to hear your laugh” Dock scene: (girl gasping, eerie music, water splashing) Fish: “what.. what have I done” (girl gently shushing him) Girl: “shhh.. it’s okay. It’s okay you’re here with me.” Girl: “please. You can’t keep blaming yourself.” Fish: “I-what? I-“ (yells frustratedly) (Girl sobbing) Fish: “oh no.” Underwater scene: (silent exept for muffled fish moving and eerie music) Girl/fish: (gasping for breath) Girl: (crying) Fish: “I can’t. I’m sorry.” (Water splashing, girl quietly crying, music turns happier in the end with only a hint of sad violin) Hope this helps :)
Felling guilt when you don't do a thing to help is a worthy fate, at least try as he did with the fish but when it came to his friend, he just stood there doing nothing. A well-deserved fate in this circumstance. I'm not heartless but you have to try at least which he didn't. 🐟
The all consuming demonic sea portraits so accurately what it feels like. Hands up for all the people involved in this brutiful peace of art. Brutal but so beautiful. 🤍 I do really loved the Sound effects and the music.
Yeah man, recon ya nailed it, demon's dragging him down,I have that,but all my life, must be much worse to happen later,after paradise experience earlier.x
I love when he puts the water back in the sink. Its like something from a dream where physics are warped.
That was my favourite part. 🌊
i absolutely love when artists make good use of their mediums like that :D
I noticed the water came every time he almost started to feel happy. Like he didn’t feel like he was allowed to experience joy because of what happened.
If the water represents haunting issues, I think him having a fish head is the ability to cope under the water from years of dealing with it.
It’s not ability; rather, it is the scars of indulging in destructive actions under depression which has marred him, and made him unrecognizable. The water is depression. When he experiences the good parts of life, the depression sinks into the distance.
The water is guilt. He blames himself, for whatever happened and the drowning symbolizes his allowance of the guilt to eat him alive.
Or feeling as if your head is always just above water
I think it’s a bit of the opposite- it’s not coping but rather he has lost the ability to breathe on land (live as a normal person). He feels his guilt is a part of him, and he must drown in it as a way of life. That’s why he has a compulsion to dip his head into it, and why it always grabs him when he’s trying to live normally. That’s why he thinks talking about it won’t help: it’s simply a reality for him.
I’m pretty sure the water and the grabbing hands is the guilt and trauma of what happened
dont ever let art die
this is how survivor's guilt feels, when someone dies and you're left to cope. i know that guilt is mostly associated with surviving after a traumatic event when others die, but i think you go through something similar when someone close to you dies and you have to live. after all, part of the guilt is that you get to live and they don't. maybe you feel that they deserved to live more than you. and even if you couldn't have really saved them, you still blame yourself that you didn't do something that would have made everything turn out different. you no longer have the support of that person that would have helped you through things. unless someone experiences such a thing, the people that try to offer support cannot come close to offering real help. sad and beautifully done
This is a familiar experience unfortunately. My partner was 31 when he suddenly and tragically died from an unseen growing infection in his body. He had a abcsess in his frontal lobe drained and didn't survive in recovery from surgery. He was like a lighthouse in a storm of hurt for me. He encouraged me to break free from the guilt and painful grief I was carrying over something dreadful in my life. He wanted to live a long life. I have visited those thoughts of him deserving to live instead of me. I know that is untrue and he'd never want me to believe such thoughts. But they come out of the dark at times like these cold watery claws. It's part of "the work" to not drown in the past. All we have is now.
Guilt is one of the five stages of grieving. I know when my grandfather died from cancer I first felt relief and immediately after felt the guilt. That guilt followed me for a while after that. Anytime I laughed or felt an ounce of joy, it would be followed by guilt bc I thought it was too soon or wrong for me to experience happiness when others were still deeply grieving.
This is a beautiful explanation, thank you. 🖤
This is one of the most horrifying stories I've seen or read since I was a kid. The things children do to others in their naivety, and the guilt that follows for the rest of their lives is too real. Incredible visual style and deeply moving at the end.
the importance of color really got me in this one. i love how everything is cold, except for the children, the fish they saved, and the woman. to me the yellow represents happiness, good memories, and at the end he gives up the most yellow element in his life to go after a fading happiness, something that brings up good memories but is also tied to the sadness of what happened. amazing movie!
You know, thank you for your comment...I thought I'd gotten "all of it," and it spoke to me for my own personal reasons as it seems to have for most of us, but somehow I totally missed the significance of them saving a fish, and the meaning of that when tied in with the rest of the story. I never would have gotten this if not for your comment. The story is plenty good without that, it would have been fine, I'd still get the point, but your comment and going back to replay that part really enhanced it for me. Thank you
And, I second your comments about color!! That stood out to me also. And, texture. Look at the materials and how rough the texture of the water is, whereas the golden fish is smooth, the kids are smooth, the woman is smooth...any time the colors are bright, the textures are also smooth...
@@Abigail-hc2sq omg you're welcome!!! i love discussing movies after watching them because then we can notice things we haven't while watching it and listen to others' interpretations inside their own life experiences. i'm glad to know my comment added to your reading of the movie in some way!
@@caprituna I'm like that too, and at first I debated if I should comment or if it would be yet another "annoying notification," to someone, but then I figured if you took the time to comment, you're somewhat like that as well :D Funny how the internet CAN be used for good things, even if mostly it seems to be used for bad sometimes!!! Have an awesome day!!!
@@Abigail-hc2sq you're so sweet!! have a nice day as well! 🥰
sometimes it's good to "annoy" by making ourselves be heard, our presence can make someone's day better as you just made mine!
What I particularly got from this: He and his sister went to play on a pier when suddenly his sister had a seizure, he didn't know what was going on or what to do, for the boy, the convulsive movements that his sister made were like a drowning fish, so he, being a kid, pushes her in the water hoping that it can help her just like the fish, which of course doesn't work, and she drowns.
The guilt and the mourning remains with him and keep chasing him for decades, even as an adult, represented by the water that constantly follows him like a monster, the adult version of his sister is probably a representation of him trying to get over it and move on, telling himself it wasn't his fault, after all he was just a kid who didn't know what he was doing, but no matter how calm things get for a while, the "water" always eventually comes back to haunt him.
When he "saves" the adult version of his sister, means that what's done is done, he can't fix it, nothing will ever change what happened, and that's when he realizes he'll never get over it, and finally decides to kill himself by drowning.
In the last few seconds, two fish are shown swimming together, representing his soul reuniting with his sister's.
I believe the woman he saved is his wife/significant other. It shows how grief can affect those around us as well. Rather than let her be consumed by his grief as well, he freed her from it by taking his own life, giving in to his grief once and for all.
@@CrazyWarriorCatLady kind of agree, but now the woman who tried to help him might also get haunted by guilt
@@choko8707 of course. It’s a vicious cycle that never ends. That’s what makes it all so heartbreaking.
@@CrazyWarriorCatLady except that's selfish and there's therapy
@@IlyaWazuhiru Shellfish*
This is a beautiful piece of work. I interpreted this as how PTSD can consume you like you’re drowning. The trauma consumes him like he’s drowning.
And it overflows to all those around him.
It’s scary,
you don’t want to drown,
but when you can’t trust yourself, the knowledge you can’t drag others down with you, that’s the only comfort you can find.
The morale of the story is, don't push epileptics into the sea.
Thank you for raising awareness on this pressing issue.
Fishy subject for sure
@@Vee_of_the_Weald you made my day, thank you 🌞
I understand that the epileptic episode looked like a flopping fish at times
This is exactly what I got from this movie. No more Joan of Arcs being lost to the sea.
he was dumb and thought she looked like a drowning fish. what helped one won’t save another. (she kinda looked like she was drowning, it could have been drowning. a panic attack even.)
I think him pushing his sister in the water wasn’t literal but just a metaphor for him either not being able to save her or being part of what caused her to pass bc he was a child and didn’t know how to handle the situation because I think as a whole water is a metaphor in this I don’t think there was ever really any water just represents the guilt
Oh this was painful! I carry a guilt. In 1995 my fiancé was at work and he passed quickly of a heart attack. A month earlier I took him to the hospital. All the tests came out negative. He insisted on leaving. The doctor warned me he should stay. But Mike wanted out so we left. I made sure he took his heart pills. Would he have survived if he stayed? A would he have passed anyway. I told him once if he ever died before me I’d commit suicide to be with him. He said we wouldn’t know each other on the other side. Do you want that? I said no. No more talk about dying he said. But what I admired about him was that he let me say it. What I didn’t know was how strong a bond we had. I lived in the apartment he moved things into but never got to live in, for five years. I had phone grief counciling then in person counciling. It didn’t stop my guilt or depression. Mike decided he’d try to comfort me, and knowing I was a Sensitive he did things. He’s whisper in my ear. He’d run a finger down my nose as he did in life. He’d turn his pictures face down. He never manifested as an apparition. I told him of the time I saw one that scared me so Mike didn’t. But I told him he was scaring me. So he came in dreams. We’d walk on a beach hand in hand saying not a word. Or I’d be in a white glowing room, he’d be standing there staring at me until I saw him and disappear. I can’t control my dreams. All I know is when I start missing him a lot he comes then I feel better for a year or two. I sleep in the bed I helped him make. One night I felt his hand on my side to calm my restlessness before I pushed it off. He’s still watching over me. But the guilt is still there. Would he still be alive had I insisted he stay in the hospital when he wanted to go. He was 41. I long ago smoked his last pack of cigarettes. He had upper dentures and his parents gave me them. I feel like I should’ve made him stay in that hospital. I went through two years of depression after he passed. The cat at the time I had helped me through it. I think Mike knew it was his time. He sent me home after I had lunch with him at his work. He never did that before. He knew I saw my father pass in hospice and Mike didn’t want to put me through it. I still remember our last words before ai left. “You love me?” Mike grinned and said “I’ll think about it.” and he gave me a big hug. I sensed something was off. I waited in the parking lot. Go in? Go home? We were living with his folks at the time until the apartment was all set. I left. My Michael knew it was his time. So he had nothing against me being released from the hospital instead of insisting he stay. Doesn’t stop my guilt.
I hope
You’re doing well friend.. blessings to you.
@@HesAbnormal better. Thanks.
I am sorry for mike and for you
Think it is better to move from his town
And fill your time by social work like some charity association or an orphanage
I am sorry if my words look hard but I am really very sorry for both of you
@@ehtx I still live in his town and he’s been dead since 1995 from his heart attack at only 41. Don’t get the charity and orphanage reference.
Hey I’m so sorry that’s such a powerful testimony. God bless you!
I wonder how many of those with mental health issues will find parallels to their experiences here.
personaly the more i fall into my depression the more it hurts to be around others, the less i care about my own health and future, and this hurts the person who cares most for me, progress is slow and always under threat of being lost.
but i cannot go under the waves yet.
@@shardinhand1243 I've seen it all turn around through romantic love and related self-esteem elevation.
@@shardinhand1243 being a fish myself, I hope you find the love for yourself again- you deserve it. You deserve to share it with others. It's hard, but help makes it easier- please reach out for help. Stay fishy
@@Suggestive_Carp i go to weekly counciling and i highly recomend it, i dont know that i would be alive today if i hadint started going.
He accidentally killed his sister after pushing her into the sea when she had a siezure on the pier. Her seizing reminiscent of the fish on dry land they referenced. I see the fish head as his mind being consumed by what he'd done in the past & the water chasing him being symbolic to him drowning in guilt & depression. The yellow woman, seeming a lover or confidant of some sort, when faced with being unable to save him from his past & grief, too began to be overcome by the water. He ultimately kills himself, reuniting in death with his sister & the yellow woman ultimately free of trying to save him. - her obvious purity & brightness could be symbolic of happiness, warmth, goodness; an opposite to the dark cold water. 🤷♀️ Overall beautiful story telling & craftsmanship. Well done.
Pensei exatamente a mesma coisa, mas para mim, a água simboliza o objeto de alívio que buscamos quando nos conectamos com sofrimento, os braços que saem da água representam sua incapacidade de resistir à busca por alívio, ou seja, compulsão. Ele tenta esconder dela , mas em algum momento sempre se tornam evidentes nossos vícios e fraquezas e é nessa hora em que a água invade a sala que ela percebe, então começa a sofrer e se afundar junto com ele porque ela o ama do jeito que ele é, apesar dos pesares. Então ele percebe o que está acontecendo e se redime, abandonando-a e entregando-se aos vícios, para não prejucá-los, sua morte prematura é representada pelos dois peixinhos que aparecem no final. Muito lindo.😿
Reminds of Omori for some reason.
This whole representation was devastatingly artistic and representative of so many struggles I face daily. Thank you for putting in the heart and the work to bring a better understanding of grief and guilt to the audience that we pray never has to endure it.
Damn. This tore me up. Yesterday I found out a friend died by suicide. Today is the 3rd anniversary of my dad's death. I needed this. Thanks, algorithm.
I’m truly sorry for your loss ❤️
I feel like him picking up the water and putting it into the sink was his way of gaining back his composure.
Guilt can be truly all consuming. You hate yourself for whatever you did (or think you did) and part of wants so badly to be punished to somehow right the scales of the universe. But the problem with most guilt is that as an adult there is no easy answer. You aren’t a child anymore who can be put in time out and when you get up all is forgiven. As we grow older our mistakes feel like they grow larger and apologies seem hollow… sorry to be grim. Story hit me hard… I struggle with guilt constantly. For a long time i felt as this guy felt that the weight of my guilt was unforgivable, that I therefore deserved the misery I felt… even though what I had “done” was all in my head
I love the whole metaphor of this short film, the fact that it portrayed so well the feeling of guilt without even saying it, the visuals are amazing. The character being a fish and being able to swim through its own pain and throwing their love ones into it by blaming themselves. but her not being able to swim as him, bc she's not a fish and she doesn't belong to the water. Them being apart, damn.
Recovering from an addiction to diffrent opioids looks like this for me. Accept the somewhat sad but peaceful ending symbolically for me looks like the high I get when I relapse. I always feel so guilty about it. It's not fair to other people. This is what walking in my shoes feels like. Thank you for this beautiful peace of art!
One of the best animation films I’ve seen and I’ve seen a lot! So true, well observed - sometimes it’s even hard to observe these things if you are the fish. The part where the girl was laughing and saying how good it was to see you laugh because she had pulled you into her world and that’s what she wanted to see. The understanding of this film and amazing animation …. just OUTSTANDING
Loved the denim sea! The sea was all consuming.
Couldn't agree more! It adds so much beautiful texture.
Man - this was one of the most powerful film experiences I've had in a while.
i know omg me too
Not me
I like the saying: "Treat people with kindness, you never know what they are going through." Maybe we should add to it: "... and you never know what they have lived through." Beautiful video.
This animation got me grasping for air, great evocative effect.
Very impressed with this artistically. The water being made out of cloth worked so well, and that scene near the beginning where he scoops up the water and puts it back in the sink was so creative. Really goes to show what you can do with a medium when you know how to use it.
This is just such a beautiful piece of art. So sensitive and so many ways to look at this. This is the work of a true artist
Much love to all who read this. May your day be blessed❤
Thank you for your comment and for watching.
Since this is Fishboy, wouldn't this be a film about "Gill-t?"
i'm sending you to pun jail.
I hate you, take my like
I feel you, fish-dude. I feel you.
idk if im supposed to be the fish or the girl but im crying 😭
Good ass lighting in this
ass lighting?
I didn't notice the asses were especially well lit. I'll have to watch again, ty!
I love water and the waves!
He grew up in the “ocean”(or a traumatic home) and developed to survive in it. He wanted to be better for her but he couldn’t change his nature. He didn’t want her to drown in his trauma responses, he didn’t want her to be dragged into the ocean where he had learned how to survive. He’s a fish. She’s not.
that was amazing but depressing. kinda makes it seem like some ppl cant be saved tho which can be true which really stresses how serious it is.
Hit me right in the feels.
So many FEELS!
So much difference in textures
This is… my favourite short film EVER!
I will watch so many times in the future.
the story is great, but i just have to say that the stop motion effects for the water are absolutely out of this world!!!!!
This is majestic...Almost magical..so close yet so far
Thank goodness i quit doing drugs in the 1970s.if i would have seen this on some psychedelic,i might still be scarred to this day...
But i like this,and my compliments to the talents and creativity of whoever made it
I feel like the water represents the guilt, always near and louder at times but always there looming in the background. When he saves the woman in yellow the guilt stops him from getting out almost as if to say “ you need to face this and you can’t avoid it forever” so he stays and faces his guilt and in that maybe finding peace about what happened to his sister.
My interpretation. Unburdening the waters of emotion through expression. Being saved by voice and flow and having two hands lift you back into the waters way. Too becoming what you had flowed. Like I mean this as if you tell a friend the grief of them too feeling what you felt. When someone knocked it’s like the waters way turned down and the emotions stopped flowing. In my body I felt the coldness. Like it was like oh back to that. Back to base. When we have both water and soul. Water and earth. Mothers nature being there to hold hands with water and have the emotions take root. The entire scene around him changed. Stop stop. It’s nice to hear your laugh she said. This brought again the water this time with a purpose until he starts to question how in the world is it controlled. Like he would look at it with the squint between his eyes in disbelief. Releasing the fear through the fountain. Letting it consume him. Before in this imagination he had seen all as parts of him and now identifying as the final man. Final boy and fish. The scene of him confused and muttering in the fountain. Well what a sad ending. They were together in nature. Would’ve liked to have seen them together as humans. He needs to tame his animal inside. The fish of disbelief. 10/10. 11/1 if the little lady got her lad
A piece of Art . Of particular meaning to some of us .
I just can't believe it! The ending just broke my heart! The fishboy could've just grabbed his friend's hand and just move on from his guilt, but no! He just had to go into the water! And what's even more heartbreaking is that we'll never know what gonna happen next! It's very sad to see how our character has turned out! If he didn't stay in the water forever, he could've just stayed with his friend, so that way, he could try other coping mechanisms so he can move on from his past! And when I mean "coping mechanism", I mean that in the form of a song.
When love is young, as fresh as dew
A song is sung, so warm and new
It winds its way, bursts into blue
An April day turned into June
Summer is born
I walk the fields, there's warmth above
The thought it yields is of my love
A lazy stream, its solitude
A summer dream, a quiet mood
Plays on my mind
The summer of a young girl's life
Is meant for love not pain or strife
A time for change (A time for change), a time to stay
To rearrange for another day
Another day
(Another day, another day)
(Another day, another day)
(Another day, another day)
Another day
It’s not easy like that, it’s so, so hard. (Also I think it’s his wife)
He suffered loss and pushed it away (the fish at the beginning). Then over time, the guilt becomes like the waves and comes and goes, but always comes back, sometimes with bigger waves. The girl witnesses his guilt and at one point experiences it herself. She cannot understand the pain and guilt he has. He realizes he feels like a fish out of water (so to speak) and would be better off distancing himself. He chooses to live within his own sea of guilt. That’s my interpretation anyways :)
I am sobbing. What an amazing job. Thank you
part of the water looked like the plastic backside of Velcro. i loved it lol.
this was horrible, but beautiful... thank you.
🤣 You're welcome? Thanks for watching.
@@shortoftheweek
he's stuck between a rock and a hard place, he is either a fish out of water or he's drowning in guilt.
This is the type of video that will get millions of likes in 12 years
i think the fish represents how like it struggled to breathe but you could save it. but with the sister you couldn't. so the water is him crying and mourning! and he tries to hide his tears and puts them away. Him putting his head in the water is a reflection of him sinking into the past and remembering what happened-- so he cries. and when someone comes and knocks on his door he doesn't tell them what he's going through. NOWW then i figured out that he pushed his sister in the water. so the fish really just was something that made him think to push his sister in the water (WHAT BAFOONARYYY) And so the thing i said about him drowning in his problems so far seems accurate. lets keep going and see! now he is in the fountain.. my goodness. I FEEL SO BAD! but still thats him feeling guilty drowning in his problems and she's comforting him.
OH MY GOODNESS now they're both drowning. I'm telling you this is them getting sad and drowning in their problems gosh this is relatable-
oh... he didn't get over his problems. INSTEAD- HE STAYED IN THE WATER. So basically she's the one who got out and healed from her trauma BUTT he did not. I KNOW U SEE THAT COMMENT SAYING HE KILLED HIMSELF! but i don't think thats it, but if it is i would be so sad
I watched this last night and woke up thinking about it ❤ good job. I understand and feel very adjacent.
what I personally see here, is my relationship with my boyfriend. Well... ex boyfriend. We broke up a few days ago because we couldn't cope with our hard pasts. Toxic coping mechanisms were destroying our love, which was the strongest feeling I experienced in my whole life. We did a lot of unintentional hurt to each other. Now, maybe, we'll heal. Or we will continue this endless circle of guilt, shame, hatred and fear. Who knows. Sometimes splitting is the only way to show pndestranding and love. This is what I've also read from this animation. The split was at this point the only healthy way to deal with it.
Bad take
This may be the best short film I have ever seen.
She tried to save me. But I can’t be saved. Not even by myself.
Stunning on all levels.
Seriously just incredible
I loved the symplicity
it was really simple but also had a lot of layers
Ok and this is art.
the scream i scrumpt when he pushed her off
Yeaaaaah that was brutal I wasn’t expecting that lmao
You feel like the saying goes: “a fish out of water”… there are so many types of guilt. 😢
That is some depressing carp!
How do you think it Cod be improved?
Salmon had to say it.
(This is in the description) Anita Bruvere shared with us that “the idea was born from the image of a man with a fish head instead of a human head”. From that starting point, with screenwriter Bethe Townsend, they started thinking about what life would be like for this character and built their narrative around that premise. Explaining that the film is essentially “a couple having a conversation about their relationship, but shown in a metaphorical way”, the director adds that she “wanted to explore the themes of loss and guilt and how those feelings can affect people around the person experiencing those feelings”. In the conversations between the on-screen couple, guilt almost becomes a character with a physical presence, as Bruvere effectively makes the audience “visualise what the couple feels”.
While the narrative is quite specific, the metaphor allows everyone to experience the film in their own way and potentially relate to some of its aspects differently. As Bruvere explains: “I’m interested in connecting the personal to the universal and in telling stories that use unconventional narratives to create a strong sensation or feeling for the viewer”. Ultimately, Fishboy is a universal enough story that the majority of viewers should find it emotionally engaging. However, by approaching and developing the story from the partner’s perspective as well it subverts expectations, becoming less conventional and more powerful, especially with that ending.

“I wanted the film to feel quite tactile, and there are a lot of different textures” - Bruvere on her approach to production
With such an ambitious screenplay, an equally impressive level of craft was needed to bring the filmmakers’ vision to the screen. Thankfully, Bruvere, an experienced stop-motion animator, does not disappoint and her textured approach is an essential component in the success of the short. Using both the puppet stop motion and the paint on glass techniques gives a visual depth to this metaphoric tale and enhances its emotional depth. With the paint on glass scenes capturing the memories in two dimensions, the present is represented in a more palpable way with the puppets. Bruvere confesses that representing the sea was challenging, as it illustrates much more than a simple body of water, describing it as “comforting and suffocating at the same time”. The result is nothing short of breathtaking, her depiction serves the story on the deepest level by being more effective and visceral than any spoken or unspoken dialogue between the characters.
he couldint let go of his depression from his mistake, and took his own life, but at least he rejoined with his sister, in the afterlife.
I never really thought about it until I saw this?? But I'm definitely going to make my kids know that there's a HUGE difference between a fish flopping because its out of water n an epileptic seizure 🐟 this is ONE trauma i can stop from happening
I had a dream once of people turning into monsters that represented their issues. I eventually turned into a kid of sea creature, because of guilt. And in the dream, it was pretty clear i had GILLS because of the GUILT (thank you for the pun subconcious)
So yeah, this made me remember that
Really beautifully done (everything's so gorgeous-looking, too!). So enjoyed this experience.
Really beautiful animation.
this is beautiful.
i immediately thought of my dad
Can you add subtitles?
I’m gonna type what I hear because subtitles still aren’t up:
First scene: (Water splashing, Fish Boy gasping for breathe when he lifts his head from the sink, girl gasping when she falls on dock, eerie violin in background)
Girl: (knocking)
Girl: “Hey…you know I’m always here to talk to.”
Fish: (sigh) “pointless, talking, won’t help.”
Girl: (laughing)
Fish: “What?”
Girl: “Nothing” (chuckles)
Fish: “what are you laughing at?”
Girl: “it’s just been a while since I’ve seeen you so ungloomy”
Fish: “how are you so kind?”
Girl: “I think I might have just been born amazing.”
Fish: (chuckles)
Girl: “it’s so good to hear your laugh”
Dock scene: (girl gasping, eerie music, water splashing)
Fish: “what.. what have I done” (girl gently shushing him)
Girl: “shhh.. it’s okay. It’s okay you’re here with me.”
Girl: “please. You can’t keep blaming yourself.”
Fish: “I-what? I-“ (yells frustratedly)
(Girl sobbing)
Fish: “oh no.”
Underwater scene: (silent exept for muffled fish moving and eerie music)
Girl/fish: (gasping for breath)
Girl: (crying)
Fish: “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
(Water splashing, girl quietly crying, music turns happier in the end with only a hint of sad violin)
Hope this helps :)
I love that fishman so much! I feel bad for him 😢
the sea of grief
Guilt is very heavy.
…story aside, this is one of the best animations I’ve seen in a loooong time…
…kudos to all the creators..
🤩😍🤩
Shape of Water 2 looks good! Cant wait to see it in cinema 😁
that was beautiful
Wow, that was evocative.
Oh man I really needed this
Felling guilt when you don't do a thing to help is a worthy fate, at least try as he did with the fish but when it came to his friend, he just stood there doing nothing. A well-deserved fate in this circumstance. I'm not heartless but you have to try at least which he didn't. 🐟
Wow. I'm in total awe.
No fish for tea tonight then !
Wow.
Such an interesting short! There's a lot of story in only 8 min! ❤️
Beautifully crafted work!
The director Anita Bruvere is one very talented creator!
Very strong movie, really touched me…
The all consuming demonic sea portraits so accurately what it feels like. Hands up for all the people involved in this brutiful peace of art. Brutal but so beautiful. 🤍 I do really loved the Sound effects and the music.
Beautiful work
beautiful work very transparent keep it up
This was great. Loved the stop motion work as well as the visual metaphor of the water worked perfectly. Congratulations!
If this is at all autobiographical in nature that's a rough thing for a kid to go through.
Design/animation: A+
Writing: D-
this was beautifully done
Yeah man, recon ya nailed it, demon's dragging him down,I have that,but all my life, must be much worse to happen later,after paradise experience earlier.x
This is gorgeous
this is truly amazing.
he lives in the water and he doesn't want others to drown which is why he doesn't go to them lest the water will follow. Thus he is fishboy.
Incredibly well done