Teacups Review

Teacups is an Australian animated short film directed by Alec Green and Finbar Watson. It premiered at Sydney Film Festival 2023 and won the Yoram Gross Award for Best Animation, qualifying it for the 2024 Academy Awards for best animated short film.

It narrates the story of Don Ritchie (voiced by Hugo Weaving), a senior man who lives near a cliff and helps people who are contemplating ending their lives by jumping. Don welcomes people into his cliffside home with the promise of some tea and a listening ear. In flashbacks, we see where Don learned his empathy. In his younger days, he was part of the army in World War II, and his captain would offer him tea for comfort.

Teacups wows with its animation style, complementary colours, and a drawing style of solid sketches. Moments showing the cliff with the sea beneath it or Don in the ship during the war are gorgeously presented, while the colours and the animation point the viewer back to the film’s poignant message.

According to official reports, Don would go on to save at least 160 people from the cliff outside his home, although his family believes the true number is closer to 500 people saved.

Teacups could have been much longer by showcasing stories from those Don rescued. However, it thrives in its simplicity, a factor that makes it easy to connect emotionally. Its seven-minute runtime goes by quickly and concisely rewards the viewer with a remarkable untold story.

Review by Pedro Lima

Teacups was also featured in ShortSticks 10 Early Favourites for Best Animated Short Film Oscar here:

https://shortstick.wixsite.com/shortstick/post/10-early-favourites-for-the-2024-animated-shorts-oscar