Paper Planes Across the Distance

Review of the short film Paper Plane

The short film Paper Plane, directed by Saoirse Ronan, is about relationships: a teenage girl’s relationship with her mother (who is now involved with a man the daughter does not like), and her relationship with her lost father. All of these connections are made possible through the paper planes on which the girl writes messages and sends them to the other person. The film has an intimate and at times bitter tone and speaks of absence—of the daily effort human beings make to understand others, especially those they love. It has no need for dialogue; everything is conveyed through the image. It contains a charming mother-daughter dance sequence, and its ending shows that the director wisely understood there was no need to spoil damaged relationships with an artificially happy conclusion.