“The Dream Guardian” is a dynamic, funny and heart-warming short that portrays the dream adventures of a little girl.

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Isabella dreams of traveling to space, where she admires the impressive picture of the floating celestial objects and the amazing game of light and color. But soon she is attacked by a big robotic insect. Just before being swallowed by the creature, an astronaut bear arrives, fights the monster and saves her. Isabella soon wakes up as her mother is calling her to prepare for school.

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The creative team behind this film managed to tell an amusing and beautiful story in one minute and a half, portraying the imaginary universe of a child. The dream superhero was the impersonation of her teddy bear,  showing how children sometimes appreciate and see their friends, even if they are only toys.

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The animation is dynamic and demands the full attention of the viewer in order to follow the TV commercial style of depicting events. The fast unfolding of different shot frames and angles, but especially the various simulated camera movements transmit feelings of fear, surprise, and joy to the audience.

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While the characters are not exactly detailed and polished, a greater amount of time and attention was invested into creating the atmosphere of this short film. We see the shadows from the blinds on Isabela's face when she wakes up and the movement of every meteorite in the spatial setting of her dream. Also, the face of Isabela has particularities, like freckles and a missing tooth and the whole unconventional boyish style makes her a memorable character to be remembered. Moreover, the teddy bear superhero gives a pretty impressive fight performance. The scene is directed like a blockbuster action sequence, featuring the character jumping, kicking and breaking a meteorite to destroy the dangerous robot. So even if the short has an idyllic start, it turns in no time in a lively animation.

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All things considered, “The Dream Guardian” is a very short and very revealing animated film, that indicates an imaginative creative team, a resourceful director and demonstrates his skills of creating a unique and charming universe.