Natasha Redmond’s short animation ‘Saving Green’ plays with many pop-cult references, being a surprise for every viewer that watches it... and while they do it, they may feel like finding easter-eggs at every corner.

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As the author states, the first and most obvious reference made in this short animation is linked to ‘Guns for Hands’, a song by the alternative-rock band Twenty One Pilots. But there is more than that in ‘Saving Green’, and we will prove it. The most obvious link we’ve spotted here is the one regarding the myth of Icarus and Daedalus, where young Icarus with wings attached to his body flew too close to the sun and eventually died. In this short, the Icarus figure – here a young girl – jumps into the water and goes for a swim by herself a little too far. She is captured by the army of robot gorillas and must wait for the help of a mysterious woman to come and save her. The myth of the young disciple who doesn’t take into consideration the word of the grown-up is omnipresent in art. In literature, one in five novels have such a character that resembles this pattern. And we are not saying it’s not good – it is, in fact, a very interesting theme, as it is a really important stepping stone in the overall development of the character.  Here, the little girl goes through harsh situations due to her mistake, and must find a way to escape, eventually returning home safely.

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‘Saving Green’ has the potential to charm all types of public – it is a great lesson for kids and for grown-ups at the same time, reminding us how important our life choices are. It doesn’t take much to change your life, and for this, you have to be really careful. ‘Saving Green’ is the kind of life lesson you need to be reminded of every day!

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Written by Vlad A. G