“Spurred by a film production crew who claimed she has no imagination, a blind grandma constructs an unusual cycling simulation with common household items.” (Official)
“Aunt Lotus & Her Dream Bicycle” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
While existing as a rather one-note creative project, “Aunt Lotus & Her Dream Bicycle” manages to take its simple premise and evoke a sincere sentimentality for its characters. Furthermore, through ‘Aunt Lotus” relationship with her filmmaker son, the short reflects a deep respect for older generations and how they can inspire creatives. The end result is a touching experience that resonates love of cinema and family.
Through ‘Aunt Lotus’, director Kew Lin creates a charismatic and convincing persona who is not weighed down by her liability, always thriving for something greater and confident in herself. Eccentric and bubbly, the aforementioned ‘dream bicycle’ acts as a celebration of the past as opposed to a means of regretting what was taken away from sight loss. As a character study, the project conveys itself as a love letter to someone Kew Lin personally knows, but the strength is that the Aunt can be easily reflected in others that the viewer may hold dear in their life.
The production is sleek in both visual and sound design, and while grounded in the reality of its subject still manages to imbue flair through the cinematography from Jon Keng. Jalyn Han as Aunt Lotus embraces her role and resonates with genuine sincerity. Overall, the production is polished and contains a strong cast.
“Aunt Lotus & Her Dream Bicycle” does suffer from a rather simplistic approach, since the project is not saying anything about Lew as a filmmaker or containing a lasting effect that will carry past the initial reaction. However, its sincerity and celebration of the human spirit make it an endearing project worth checking out once.
