WFG RATING: A

Written, directed, and animated by Milly Cohen. Produced by Francis Edward Brady, Creston Brown, and Adworld. Edited by Pedro Bello.

Stars the voices of Sam Fishman, Roger Hayn, Alejandro Martinez, Negashi Armada, Milly Cohen, Harrison Fishman, Ivy Wolk, Lily Napach, Dylan Redford, and Lena Redford

An official selection at this year’s Fantastic Fest, this short, animated film from Milly Cohen is loads of absurdist fun but gives a message about the world needing a sense of mindfulness.

It all starts with a young man who inadvertently finds himself in the middle of the street after leaving the grocery store and gets bumped by a fellow civilian. A chain of events occur where the stressed-out man starts to breath and become mindful of his surroundings. Soon enough, a man on his way to work informs his co-worker he needs a break before arriving. A band of bicycle riders and an elderly man also learn to take a deep breath, leaving to one of the most events in everyone’s lives.

You have to hand it to Milly Cohen. Having taught themself animation in 2019, they has definitely carved a name for themself with short films and the like. Seeing how they combine absurdist comedy with their flair for animation, this is perhaps their greatest achievement. The reason is because we all live in a world today where we need mindfulness. The world is stressed enough, but it can take a deep breath to make not only yourself but those around you feel better.

Running at just over eight and half minutes, this will please fans of fun animation with one particular thing happening that is just out of this world and brings a few of the elements together in a very unexpected way. And a damn good one at that!

A Breath of Mindfulness brings some great absurdist comedy mixed in with Milly Cohen’s amazing animation style and influences but overall brings a message of just taking a deep breath when things seem a bit daunting and stressing. That deep breath can help make everyone better people.