Tomorrow 🐶 Animated Short Film

Tomorrow, the animated short directed by Aryasb Feiz and co-written with Amir Zoghi and Kaveh Ruintan, transcends its one-to-one narrative to become a resonant piece of social commentary on childhood, poverty, and the profound human need for connection. Set against the richly rendered, yet harsh, backdrop of 1970s Shiraz, Iran, the film introduces us to a resilient 10-year-old street urchin burdened with an adult responsibility: sustaining his own meager existence while simultaneously procuring vital, life-saving medicine for his ailing father. The narrative pivots on a deeply felt, entirely non-verbal relationship that develops between the boy and a stray dog, a bond that offers both emotional refuge and, ultimately, physical salvation.

The acclaim garnered by Tomorrow—including its Oscar longlisting—is a testament to its compelling blend of narrative sincerity and unflinching realism. Unlike many animated shorts that gravitate toward fantasy or idealized emotional landscapes, Tomorrow embraces a

"grittier, even brutal portrayal of a deprived and difficult childhood."

Establishing the World—Setting, Color, and Cultural Context

The film's aesthetic foundation is built upon a detailed and evocative rendering of 1970s Shiraz. This environment is far more than a backdrop; it is a vital, active character that dictates the protagonist's movements, opportunities, and constraints.

The Semiotics of 1970s Shiraz

The choice of time and place is deliberate and layered with semiotic meaning. The 1970s in Iran, a period immediately preceding immense political and social upheaval, represents a moment of visible societal stratification and economic disparity. The boy’s existence—eking out a living in "corners and alleys"—highlights the marginalized existence of the urban poor. The animation’s use of Computer-Generated (CG) style is notable for its refusal to sanitize the environment. The streets are dusty, the textures of the stone and brick are worn, and the market scenes are crowded and chaotic.

This visual commitment to social realism ensures that the audience immediately understands the precarious nature of the boy’s life. The warmth of the "autumnal colors" is not romantic; it is the color of dry heat and aging infrastructure, creating a nostalgic yet melancholic atmosphere that perfectly mirrors the boy's emotional state.

Contrast in Psychological Space: Openness vs. Oppression

Director Aryasb Feiz masterfully utilizes composition and color grading to define two crucial psychological spaces in the film. Each corresponding to a different emotional load carried by the boy:

1. The Street (The Public/External Space): This space is characterized by fluidity and threat. Despite the dangers of the street—the competition, the potential for exploitation—the wide angles and diffused, warm light suggest a space of potential. This is where the boy performs his duties, but also where he finds the dog. The sense of openness, even in poverty, contrasts sharply with the confinement of his home life.
2. The Father’s Room (The Private/Internal Space): This space is defined by claustrophobia and burden. As described in the film’s synopsis, the room is visually dank and heavy. The use of dark, desaturated colors and deep shadows creates a palpable sense of oppression. The low ceiling and cluttered, dusty textures emphasize that this small, enclosed space is "no place for a child to grow up." The visual language here—the stark contrast between light and dark—serves as a metaphor for the illness itself. Representing a suffocating weight that the boy must carry. The darkness of this internal space underscores the adult trauma he faces daily.

The Non-Verbal Power of Performance and Design

The film’s decision to operate entirely without dialogue is its most crucial artistic choice, forcing the audience to connect directly with the raw, non-mediated emotions of the characters. This demands a high degree of precision in character design and animation.

The Protagonist’s Expressive Duality

The 10-year-old protagonist is designed to embody a tension between necessity and nature.

• Wary Hunch: The "wary, hunched-over huntedness" of his posture is a learned survival mechanism. His body language is defensive, reactive, and constantly on guard. His eyes are rarely still, scanning the environment for threats or opportunities. This visual state communicates the immense responsibility he bears—a responsibility that has prematurely aged his demeanor.
• Childlike Release: The animation expertly handles the shift when the dog enters his sphere. The boy’s shoulders relax, his movements become expansive and playful, and his facial expressions soften into genuine smiles. This duality is a profound commentary on the cost of poverty: the boy’s true childhood is a brief, intermittent luxury afforded only by the safety of his canine friend. The effectiveness of the film lies in how quickly and convincingly the boy’s face can transition from hardened vigilance to innocent joy, creating a powerful emotional arc in miniature.

The Touching Economy of the Animal Bond

The development of the boy's friendship with the stray dog is a masterclass in narrative economy. The filmmakers do not need extensive exposition; instead, they rely on universal, immediately relatable gestures of trust.

Initial Distrust and Parallelism: Initially, the dog, a stray, mirrors the boy's social status: marginalized, hungry, and wary. Consequently, their first encounters are defined by mutual caution. However, the first offering of food, the shared shelter from the rain, and the synchronized moments of rest quickly establish their parallel needs.

The Unconditional Acceptance: Furthermore, the dog offers a form of unconditional acceptance that the boy cannot find in the harsh human world. Crucially, this relationship provides the boy with psychological and emotional stability—a foundational need often absent in his life. As the analysis notes, this companionship thereby becomes the boy’s "solace and connection," offering him a necessary anchor of hope against the relentless tide of daily struggles.

The Orchestration of Emotion—Score as Dialogue

In Tomorrow, the classical score is arguably the most dominant narrative voice. It compensates for the lack of dialogue, translating the complex internal emotions of the characters into a language the audience can process viscerally.

The Emotional Range of the Music

The "plaintive, expressive classical score" serves several distinct functions:

1. Establishing Melancholy: In the quiet, transitional moments—as the boy walks alone or sits by his father’s bed—the music is often slow, minor-key, and heavy, reinforcing the intrinsic sadness and loneliness of his situation.
2. Amplifying Delight: During moments of genuine interaction with the dog—play, shared meals, or running through the alleys—the music shifts to a warmer, more upbeat tempo, signaling a temporary relief from his anxieties. This contrast makes the joyful moments feel earned and precious.
3. Building Suspense (The Third Act Pivot): The music becomes the primary tool for the film’s major genre shift. As the boy’s situation turns "dark, foreboding," the score rapidly escalates. The use of staccato strings, minor harmonies, and increasing volume creates a sense of mounting dread and tension. Propelling the film into the sphere of a thriller. This deliberate orchestration ensures that the audience feels the danger as intensely as the protagonist, even without explicit verbal warning.

The score’s ability to range from "fear to anger to expressiveness" demonstrates the director's sophisticated understanding of how sound can be used to manipulate narrative pace and emotional depth, ensuring the audience is never lost, even in the non-verbal landscape.

TOMORROW | Omeleto

Thematic Depth—Responsibility, Identity, and Moral Ambiguity

The narrative of Tomorrow extends beyond a simple story of friendship. It engages with complex thematic layers concerning moral responsibility and the harsh erasure of childhood identity.

The Weight of Responsibility

The most devastating aspect of the boy’s life is his enforced departure from childhood. His primary objective—securing medicine for his father—is an existential burden. This task requires him to perform activities that are morally ambiguous or outright dangerous for a child: hustling, scavenging, and dealing with unscrupulous adults.

• Premature Adulthood: The need to sustain his father places the boy in a state of premature adulthood. He cannot fail; the stakes are life and death. The film beautifully captures this struggle by contrasting his capable, quick-thinking actions on the street with the vulnerable, small figure he is in his father’s dark room. This conflict highlights the injustice of a system that forces children into the role of primary caregiver and provider.

The Loyalty Contract

The theme of loyalty is multifaceted, applying not only to the dog but to the boy himself:

• Filial Loyalty: The boy's actions in Tomorrow are driven by fierce filial loyalty to his sick father. This is the initial force that sets the entire plot in motion.
• Reciprocal Loyalty (Human-Animal): The relationship with the dog is built on reciprocal loyalty, a covenant of mutual need and protection. The dog’s decision to protect the boy in the climax is the fulfillment of this unspoken contract. It demonstrates that the strongest form of loyalty can often be found outside the human structures of family or society.

Refusing the Fairy Tale: Realism in the Conclusion

The film’s conclusion is arguably its most artistically successful decision. By opting for a "measured, triumphant yet bittersweet" resolution, the filmmakers reject the facile comfort of a typical Hollywood ending.

• Bittersweet Reality: The boy is physically safe, and the bond with the dog is solidified. That is the triumph. However, the external circumstances remain unresolved. The father is still sick, the poverty persists, and the danger of the street has been clearly demonstrated. The film acknowledges that life’s hardships are not solved by a single heroic act, but are enduring challenges.
• Focus on Process, Not Outcome: The final focus is not on the acquisition of the medicine (the logistical plot point), but on the process of enduring (the emotional plot point). The audience is left with the certainty of the boy's emotional fortitude, reinforced by his true companion. The film offers "consolation" rather than a solution, suggesting that survival is a continuous journey best undertaken with steadfast support.

Cinematic Technique and Directorial Vision

Beyond the narrative, Tomorrow is noteworthy for its sophisticated use of cinematic techniques, which maximize the emotional impact within the short-film format.

Mise-en-scène and Environmental Storytelling

Feiz employs strong mise-en-scène to tell the story visually. Every frame is packed with details that inform the viewer about the boy's circumstances:

• Props as Indicators of Poverty: The simple, well-worn clothing of the boy, the lack of modern amenities in the home, and the types of items he is attempting to sell or scavenge (often discarded or low-value items) all serve as visual shorthand for his deprivation.
• Framing and Vulnerability: The boy is often framed alone against large, imposing architectural elements (walls, archways), emphasizing his smallness and vulnerability in the vast, indifferent urban landscape. Conversely, when he is with the dog, the framing becomes tighter and more intimate. Visually isolating their shared moment of safety from the chaotic background.

The Pacing of Suspense

The film’s pacing is strategically manipulated. The early acts proceed with a quiet, observational pace. Allowing the audience to absorb the setting and the development of the bond. The third act, however, introduces rapid cutting, close-ups on the boy’s face and the dog’s protective stance, and dynamic camera work to accentuate the escalation of tension. This sudden acceleration in pacing is a directorial choice that effectively shocks the audience. Disrupting the previously established rhythm of quiet struggle and signaling the shift into "thriller territory."

Conclusion: The Resonant Truth of Tomorrow

Tomorrow is a profoundly resonant animated short film distributed by Omeleto that succeeds because of its discipline and its empathy. Aryasb Feiz and his team demonstrate that animation can be a powerful vehicle for social realism. It is capable of conveying the complexity and brutality of life with an emotional clarity often unmatched by live-action.

The film's greatness lies in its refusal to simplify its narrative or its setting. It anchors its universal themes—the necessity of love, the endurance of loyalty, and the crushing weight of circumstance—within the specific, meticulously rendered world of 1970s Shiraz. The enduring image is not one of fantasy or escape, but of two marginalized beings—a boy and a dog—walking side-by-side. Their fierce, tested bond providing the only true certainty in an uncertain world. The conclusion is not a promise of an easy future, but the solid, undeniable consolation that they will face whatever comes tomorrow together. The film leaves the audience deeply moved. Affirming the fundamental truth that connection, even in its simplest, non-verbal form, is the ultimate engine of resilience and hope.