Her Song is a beautiful animated short with a devastating story. An elderly woman tells her granddaughter how she was deprived of her freedom when she was admitted to one of the Magdalene asylums/laundries.

A while back I had the chance to watch The Magdalene Sisters which is not a horror film, unless you consider the atrocious acts committed by the nuns running these homes as such. These places were basically created as a so-called support to “guide” women considered to have strayed from God’s path by “committing” acts that went against the social Catholic values. In reality, these were places to metaphorically banish young girls who did not have the support of their families for any reason or they had been accused of adultery when in fact they had been forced to commit acts against their will.

This short is loosely based on the devastating depiction of what women went through while residing in hell. The plot is a mixture of raw reality with Irish folklore— it includes the depiction of a banshee as a comforter of women in need. It is interesting to see how throughout the short the faces of other characters are not shown other than the narrator’s identity. It is as if they want to imply the only recognition deserved in this story is for the victims.

For some, Her Song can be a simple beautiful animation with interesting pictures that you could frame to hang on your wall, while for others who know the historical context it is based on, it can be a blow to the heart because of the emotions encapsulated in each shot.

10 OUT OF 10 COMBS