To the Moon and Back

It’s summertime, and Kess is enjoying her vacation with friends at the outdoor swimming pool. She has just said farewell to elementary school and is getting ready to start high school. Her older sister Bo died when Kess was nearly five years old, and she’s been living in a houseful of memories ever since. She keeps Bo’s things close to her, and hopes that the two of them will stay connected somehow. But she’s scared that her memories of Bo will fade with time. Kess shares her thoughts and talks about Bo. Her voice is accompanied by ink animations and old videos of the sisters together. In this touching short film about grief and identity, Kess wonders how much she wants to share with her new classmates about her sister. She doesn’t want them to pity her. She hopes to be seen as independent from her sister, and to create her own story. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)