The current political and social attention placed on the government's border policy is definitely dead-center of the media's attention so the timing of this new Middlebury College Animation Studio short couldn't come at a more relevant time.
Speaking to the Burlington Free Press, Character Designer Kaitlynd Collins stated, "Parents should never be separated from their children, and we made a film about it. It has been an absolute honor to work on this project on a topic that is so pervasive and matters so much, especially now."
Originally, Estrellita was slated to be completed in 2019, but given the current social-political climate, Middlebury professor Daniel Houghton stated that he felt the time to release the short was now, despite it not being as polished as it could be. "It felt like not only was this tragedy playing out in very real-world terms, but that there might be a role for this short, little animation to play."
The 7-minute short film is available for viewing below.
Estrellita (Little Star) from Daniel Houghton on Vimeo.