Malkah is just a little kid when her father tries to teach her to read Torah. But they don't get very far. As Malkah reads aloud, her questions multiply. They take her on a lifelong journey deeper and deeper into Jewish mystical texts, far-off places, encounters with ancient gods, and ultimately into the nature of existence itself. Malkah discovers an earlier, hidden creation story right inside the one offered on the surface of Genesis. A 38-minute animation in remembrance of Seymour Fromer, founder of the Magnes Museum in Berkeley CA. 

Juror comments: The animation style in The Day before Creation is appealing because it is unlike any other. It is incredibly detailed and consists of only a few colors. However, I found the plot hard to follow since I am not familiar with religion.

The short film follows a little girl learning more about her language's alphabet with the help of her father and the Torah. The Torah is the law of God, as revealed to Moses, in Judaism, and through this book, the girl learns more about her culture.

The storyline is educational and is delivered in a well-paced way. However, at times the storyline moves very slowly and my attention drifted. The animation style is absolutely beautiful. It is crisp and reminds me of a Matisse painting, with angled images of people and places. The drawings are what most intrigued me about the film. The sets all are drawn beautifully. The main locations include the city, buildings, on rooftops, or just floating with no tangible set. I love how simple the colors are because they contrast beautifully with the incredibly detailed lining of the drawings. The background music and narration are both calming sounds that are constant throughout the film. There aren't many changes in mood or tone during the film. The music matches the theme of discovery throughout. The narrator, Mira Z. Amiras, is also the writer, director, and producer. Her voice is very calming and soothing which matches the film’s theme. The illustrator and animator are Josh Baum and Samuel Baum respectively. The film taught me more about the Hebrew language, specifically what some of the characters look like and mean. My favorite part of the film is the beautifully drawn illustrations.

The message of this film is that learning and discovery are crucial to growth.

I give this film 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18. Although it could appeal to a wide audience, it would resonate best with those of the Jewish religion/culture. Reviewed by Jolleen M., KIDS FIRST!