A Polish mother grieves when her only child leaves their home in the suburbs of Chicago to study in Poland. While her son is away, she finds a baby squirrel in her backyard and forges a unique and powerful bond with the animal, raising him as if he were her own child.

Director + Cinematography + Photography - Tom Krawczyk

Writer + Editor - Colin Santangelo

Producer - Nick J. Santore

Honors

Short of the Week – Documentary Short of the Year + Audience Choice Award Atlanta DocuFest – Best Director
Chicago Critics – Audience Award Winner
Salute Your Shorts – Audience Award Winner
Calgary – Documentary Short Film Award (Honorable Mention)
Big Sky – Best Mini-Doc (Nomination)
Spotlight Documentary Awards - Platinum Award
Vimeo Staff Pick

Screenings

Big Sky Documentary Film Festival // Best Mini-Doc Competition // Missoula, Montana // Feb 18 - March 3, 2022 // Link

SXSW Film Festival // Austin, Texas // March 11 - 20, 2022 // Link

Santa Barbara International Film Festival // Santa Barbara, California // March 2 - 12, 2022 // Link

San Francisco International Film Festival // San Francisco, California // April 21 - May 1, 2022 // Link 1, Link 2, Link 3

Seattle International Film Festival // Seattle, Washington // April 14 - 24, 2022 // Link

Chicago Critics Film Festival // Audience Award Winner // Chicago, Illinois // May 13 - 19, 2022 // Link

Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival // West Tisbury, Massachusetts // May 17 - 22, 2022 // Link

Atlanta Docufest // Best Director for Documentary Short // Atlanta, Georgia // May 27 - 29, 2022 // Link

Palm Springs International ShortFest // Palm Springs, California // June 21 - 27, 2022 // Link

Snake Alley Festival of Film // Burlington, Iowa // July 21 - 24, 2022 // Link

Salute Your Shorts Film Festival // Audience Award Winner // Los Angeles, California // August 19 - 21, 2022 // Link

Sidewalk Film Festival // Birmingham, Alabama // August 22 - 28, 2022 // Link

Indie Street Film Festival // Red Bank, New Jersey // September 7 - 11, 2022 // Link

Nashville Film Festival // Nashville, Tennessee // September 29 - October 5, 2022 // Link

Tallgrass Film Festival // Wichita, Kansas // September 28 - October 2, 2022 // Link

Calgary International Film Festival // Honorable Mention // Calgary, Alberta, Canada // September 22 - October 2, 2022 // Link

Fresh Coast Film Festival // Marquette, Michigan // October 13 - 16, 2022 // Link

Charlotte Film Festival // Charlotte, North Carolina // September 28 - October 2, 2022 // Link

Drunken Film Festival // Oakland, California // October 9 - 14, 2022 // Link

Hamptons International Film Festival // East Hampton, New York // October 7 - 16, 2022 // Link

Still Voices Film Festival // Ballymahon, County Longford, Ireland // November 9 - 13, 2022 // Link

DocsMX International Film Festival // Mexico City, Mexico // October 13 - 23, 2022 // Link

Polish Film Festival in LA // Los Angeles, California // October 20 - 30, 2022 // Link

Polish Film Festival in America // Chicago, Illinois // November 5 - 20, 2022 // Link

DOC Chicago Showcase // Chicago, Illinois // November 5, 2022 // Link

Lake County Film Festival // Grayslake, Illinois // November 11 - 14, 2022 // Link

FIPADOC | International Documentary Film Festival // Biarritz, France // January 17 - 23, 2023 // Link

New York International Children’s Film Festival // New York // March 3 - 5, 2023 // Link

Sedona International Film Festival // Sedona, Arizona // February 18 - 26, 2023 // Link

Conero Film + Adv // Concero Natural Park, Italy // September 2, 2023 // Link

Press

Short of the Week - Doc Short of the Year

The New York Times

Short of the Week

Aeon Magazine

Directors Notes

Variety

Colossal

American Documentary

American Documentary

Realscreen

Starry Mag