I found myself really resonating with the song and so the film was inspired by my own past growing up and how it could be seen to be reflected in the lyrics.

As a young teenager, I would often climb trees and go for walks by myself in the woods where I grew up rather than hanging out with the other kids who would play sports and so I tried to show this contrast between the two worlds in the animation.

I felt it important to show the character’s femininity as strength, rather than something to be pitied or mocked; when he is threatened and misunderstood his gentle personality and love for flowers rises up and protects him, while also breaking down the barriers between them in the process.

All of the characters, sets, and backgrounds were hand painted in black and white where the only real colour came from the flowers to really enhance the beauty and uniqueness of both them and the lead character in an otherwise sharp and aggressive world. And it’s when the softer natural side collides and grow with the masculine one that they become even more visually interesting.