directed by Matthew Sanger/
“Blueberry” is a gently dark, Roald Dahl-esque story, with something of the fairytale about it. The protagonist, and narrator, is a five year old girl, who speaks of how her daddy buys her a pet snake, Blueberry, to cheer her up after her mummy went away. Blueberry is huge and sleeps with her and the dog, Molly, in their small bed. Then, one night, Blueberry does something terrible (if not unexpected) to his bedtime companion… Through the film’s visuals, the subtext is clear: Daddy is distraught after his wife has left him. His daughter innocently reads his tears as an allergy to Molly. But in truth, he’s in danger of drowning in self-pity and depression, neglecting his daughter. Will he wake up to how wonderful and special his beloved daughter is before it’s too late? The story ends with the little girl finding something she didn’t even notice she’d lost: her father.
“I like those films that 0invite you to follow the story rather than having your lapels grabbed,and it being demanded of you. I like being invited to perceive a story, and once you’re invited and you look for yourself and you find it, it’s much more potent and satisfying a discovery, rather than having the work done for you and laid out in front of you in a very big way. You feel you’ve earned it, and that’s more pleasing.”
– Matthew Sanger, director of Blueberry