"Cuerdas" or "Ropes" is an 11-minute (9 without credits) animated short film from last year. It's the second work by Spanish director Pedro Solís García and quite a success as he not only won a Goya for it, but also managed to get it known way beyond Spanish borders. I am actually fairly certain that, if this was in English it would be one of the most famous (animated) short films from last year. Luckily, there are subtitles out there for everybody who is not fluent in Spanish and that includes myself as well. "Cuerdas" has lots of funny moments (the shirt over head when he shoots a goal), is really cute from start to finish thanks to the excellent animation and also has lots of heart (no spoilers here!). The ending is somewhat sad, but somehow happy at the same time thanks to the very short epilogue. And it's also a bit critical about society as the other girls complain about Maria being weird for playing with the new disabled kid. All in all, this was a really well-done little movie and I would love to see this one being turned into a full feature film. Also got me curious about Pedro Solís García's future works. I hope he can keep the level. If so, I will definitely check out what he does next. Until then, i highly recommend this short movie here. Thumbs up.
12 Reviews
Beautifully written
ambjaneth28 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of those shorts that will affect parents (especially those with differently abled kids) with a huge impact. It's mostly a happy story about not treating disabled people in a nasty way.
The first half is wholesome. It involves a girl - Maria - who comes up with creative ways to play with the new boy in a wheelchair (who also doesn't speak). She believes he will walk again one day. She ties a rope to his foot and pulls it so he can kick a ball and also uses the rope to pull on his wheelchair so he can play all kinds of games. She has this vivid imagination and it's wonderful.
But the second half takes a sad turn. The boy comes to school very pale looking and the teacher says he's too sick to play today. Maria still tries to spend time with him, oblivious to how sick he is. Then she comes to school and sees his empty chair. She assumes he has suddenly began walking. But she overhears teachers talking about the boy, who has passed away in his sleep.
It's gut-wrenching. I was bawling. Up until that point, it really did seem like this boy was going to grow up with Maria and they'd be friends for life or even get married. It had seemed like he may get some sort of ability in his legs again (he kicked the ball once on his own). And then it just all comes crashing down one day.
The only comfort you can take from the boy's death is that is passed in his sleep, so it's assumed no suffering, and he had a smile on his face. Maria made the rest of his life amazing and that's beautiful.
The film then skips ahead 20 years and shows Maria as a teacher to disabled kids. She has now dedicated her life to caring for kids that were just like her friend.
I recommend it, but just be warned that you will likely cry.
The first half is wholesome. It involves a girl - Maria - who comes up with creative ways to play with the new boy in a wheelchair (who also doesn't speak). She believes he will walk again one day. She ties a rope to his foot and pulls it so he can kick a ball and also uses the rope to pull on his wheelchair so he can play all kinds of games. She has this vivid imagination and it's wonderful.
But the second half takes a sad turn. The boy comes to school very pale looking and the teacher says he's too sick to play today. Maria still tries to spend time with him, oblivious to how sick he is. Then she comes to school and sees his empty chair. She assumes he has suddenly began walking. But she overhears teachers talking about the boy, who has passed away in his sleep.
It's gut-wrenching. I was bawling. Up until that point, it really did seem like this boy was going to grow up with Maria and they'd be friends for life or even get married. It had seemed like he may get some sort of ability in his legs again (he kicked the ball once on his own). And then it just all comes crashing down one day.
The only comfort you can take from the boy's death is that is passed in his sleep, so it's assumed no suffering, and he had a smile on his face. Maria made the rest of his life amazing and that's beautiful.
The film then skips ahead 20 years and shows Maria as a teacher to disabled kids. She has now dedicated her life to caring for kids that were just like her friend.
I recommend it, but just be warned that you will likely cry.
Beautiful and Moving
TobyDavid18 February 2014
This was an incredibly beautiful and moving piece. The language is Spanish, but one does not have to understand Spanish to fully appreciate this masterpiece.
This is a story about a little boy with serious physical limitations and the little girl who showed him how to experience the world he had been denied. The boy arrives at school and is shunned or ignored by all the children except one Maria. Maria befriends him and uses her imagination and love to give him the gift of fun and humanity.
The animation is so well done that the characters are humanized. Maria is so very charming and wise, but still such a little girl.
The film won the 2014 Goya award for best short film animation.
This is a story about a little boy with serious physical limitations and the little girl who showed him how to experience the world he had been denied. The boy arrives at school and is shunned or ignored by all the children except one Maria. Maria befriends him and uses her imagination and love to give him the gift of fun and humanity.
The animation is so well done that the characters are humanized. Maria is so very charming and wise, but still such a little girl.
The film won the 2014 Goya award for best short film animation.
Loved this film!
rd012726 August 2014
First, I do not speak a word of Spanish. This film needs no spoken language at all to understand. It is so precious! The story resonates with many, many people who have loved ones who are disabled and the special people who befriend them. I would love to meet the director. Rarely does something impact me like this film did. The story can be carried over into many areas, but of course the special needs community will be especially drawn to it.
Not only is the story written well, the animation is perfect and the colors are vivid. I was thrilled when I heard that it had won the Goya award for the "best Spanish Short Film Animation". So well deserved.
Not only is the story written well, the animation is perfect and the colors are vivid. I was thrilled when I heard that it had won the Goya award for the "best Spanish Short Film Animation". So well deserved.
Cuerdas defines love and heroism for every human soul.
talkingjesus15 February 2015
Cuerdas is the best animated short film I have ever seen and it fully deserves every award in its class. Pedro Solis' beautiful story and characters ignite the heart in the most inspiring ways possible. Cuerdas answers today's most important questions about love and its eternal heart. I found the film to be very spiritual and non-religious. As a follower of Christ, I felt like the young characters showed us why Jesus said that we must "be humble like these little children" to find our way into Heaven. I want to buy it but did not see it on Amazon. I hope they will make it available as soon as possible. Every person on the planet needs to see, enjoy, and be moved by this piece. I'm following Cuerdas on Facebook and I'm @casandratweets. Would love to share with everyone when I am able to purchase it too.
special
Kirpianuscus2 December 2019
It can be defined as lovely, beautiful, great, impressive, moving. But, for me, it is just special. For each aspect. For entire story. For great animation details. For the wise manner to reflect the childhood essence. For the portrait of teacher . reminding, in nice way, the roots of the choice. For grace and games and profound delicacy. And for something escaping to the words. A special, special, special short animation. Useful in profound sense.
What a Beautiful Movie...
nicolepa0511 July 2023
According to what I had read, this movie is one of those typical ones that teachers in all schools show, something that surprised me to learn that it was nominated for so many awards, and even supposedly won a Guinness Record for being the most awarded film of 2019, but well, the thing itself is the movie, and I can only say that it is beautiful, as well as the animation, and the story with which I came to identify in such a way that I almost started to cry remembering my story in elementary school.
It turns out that despite the mistreatment I got to receive at that stage, I had a classmate who suffered from a disability similar to the boy in the film, and which did not understand why it was hard for him to do certain things that for an average human being were something of everyday, because I was about 8 or 9 years old at the time. The thing was a few years after I had finished elementary school, and I was wanting to remember things about the classmates I had in there, more than anything about that boy in particular, and I found out the bad news. He had left this world years ago, I kept silent because I knew my mother was not going to be interested in those people's lives, because it had happened before.
But well, beautiful movie, and beautiful everything.
It turns out that despite the mistreatment I got to receive at that stage, I had a classmate who suffered from a disability similar to the boy in the film, and which did not understand why it was hard for him to do certain things that for an average human being were something of everyday, because I was about 8 or 9 years old at the time. The thing was a few years after I had finished elementary school, and I was wanting to remember things about the classmates I had in there, more than anything about that boy in particular, and I found out the bad news. He had left this world years ago, I kept silent because I knew my mother was not going to be interested in those people's lives, because it had happened before.
But well, beautiful movie, and beautiful everything.
A Little Masterpiece
ecatalan9822 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
"Cuerdas" (Ropes or Strings) is a touching albeit sad little short animated film. At an undisclosed school, Maria befriends her new classmate who suffers from extreme palsy. The wheelchair bound boy is unable to speak and has limited facial expressions but that's unimportant to María, who is determined to rehabilitate her new friend. Time passes and they become great friends and in certain scenes you can see the boy is having a great time with Maria.
One day Maria gets to school only to find her friend's wheelchair empty and she immediately thinks her friend has fully recovered. When looking for him, Maria overhears two grown ups (probably the boy's mother or teacher) talk about the boy's sad fate: he died in his sleep. María is devastated by the news.
20 years later we see a grown woman entering a classroom, wearing a tied up piece of rope on her wrist, from the ropes María used to make her disabled friend move his hands and feet. María has now become a teacher.
"Cuerdas" has a bittersweet ending as we see María dedicate her life to help other kids. It's amazing how a story that could've been a feature length movie was condensed in a scarce 10 minute animated short. What's even sadder is that disabled kids like the one portrayed here exist by the hundreds but only a privileged few make it to adulthood.
20 years later we see a grown woman entering a classroom, wearing a tied up piece of rope on her wrist, from the ropes María used to make her disabled friend move his hands and feet. María has now become a teacher.
"Cuerdas" has a bittersweet ending as we see María dedicate her life to help other kids. It's amazing how a story that could've been a feature length movie was condensed in a scarce 10 minute animated short. What's even sadder is that disabled kids like the one portrayed here exist by the hundreds but only a privileged few make it to adulthood.
The most loving film that I have seen in my life...
moisesmtz10 October 2014
I Don't have words to explain... How to explain my love feelings???...God, It is the most loving film that I have seen in my life... IMDb want that I write 10 lines ... but I can say wow because both IMDb ask? no more to say ... just described in 4 Lyrics: Love ... Love ... etc or they do not want to type in all caps I refrain my lyrics as well but my feelings are not Ratings can be expressed in and to terminate can not be expressed in words ... It's a short track to stop at this time and future .... is a boom that you take it in your hands and help promote it will not contain the feeling of love that would cause ...
Moments in Time Are All We Have
Hitchcoc18 March 2021
This is a story of ultimate kindness as a little girl named Maria befriends a little boy who is confined to a wheelchair. He is very ill and is shunned by other children, but she gives him her time and her love. She uses strings to move his arms and legs when he can't and revels in any small accomplishment. I think what I remember the most are the expressions on the faces of the children. There is nothing phony or maudlin about this film. it is story of true love.
So happy I stumbled on this movie on YouTube!
mmaaddllyy27 March 2022
Good short movie
lokloklok-7319219 January 2021
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
