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An Iranian boy befriends an old Japanese woman at a graveyard in Tokyo. THE OLD YOUNG CROW is used with permission from Liam LoPinto. Learn more at https://theoldyoungcrow.com. When Mehrdad was a young Iranian boy living in Japan, he befriended an old woman named Chiyo. Both of them were visiting plots in a graveyard: Mehrdad would sit and draw in his sketchbook during lunch and after school, fostering his considerable talent for art. Both found solace, comfort and understanding in their friendship with one another, despite their differences in cultures and ages. But one day, Chiyo disappeared, leaving her young friend confused and sad. Years later, Mehrdad -- now an older man himself -- goes through his old sketchbook, remembering his friend and trying to piece together the mystery of her disappearance. Directed, written and animated by Liam LoPinto, this moving short animation balances deftly directed live-action sequences and deeply personal animation, linking both with a touching emotional resonance in a coming-of-age tale about friendship and spirituality. The live-action sequences tell the story of friendship with restraint and sensitivity; the animation ones possess a vivid energy and imaginative pulse that captures a young child's dizzying disorientation in a new culture. Brought together, they convey the richness of that friendship's impact on someone's inner life, becoming a tribute honoring that friend and a celebration of the subtle workings of fate. Visually, emotionally and intellectually, the film possesses an intricate complexity that yields riches with repeat viewings. Part of this is the design of the narrative, as an older Mehrdad looks back on his memories, leafing through his sketchbook. Each drawing brings back specific memories, brought to life as a striking animation sequence, and each memory is a piece of a bigger puzzle: the immersion into a new culture and the disappearance of his friend from childhood, an elderly woman named Chiyo. It's touching to watch the friendship between Mehrdad and Chiyo unfold in the beautifully restrained live-action portions of the film, as a lonely boy finds an unexpected friend who understands what it means to feel alone in the world. Actors Naoto Shibata as young Mehrdad and Keiko Yamashita as Chiyo individually have endearing screen presences, and they also have a natural, easy connection together that makes them a pleasure to watch. Chiyo helps Mehrdad feel at home with himself, even as a young foreigner, while Mehrdad offers Chiyo companionship and perhaps a reminder of the son she lost. Their friendship alleviates their loneliness, which makes it all the more heartbreaking to Mehrdad when Chiyo mysteriously disappears. But the vantage point of hindsight that THE OLD YOUNG CROW builds into its narrative design offers an older Mehrdad the wisdom and perspective to understand what happened. Now, he can see and appreciate the larger lens of culture and spirit at work in his life and appreciate his friendship even more deeply, seeing it as a gift from the universe. By widening the lens and situating the friendship within a larger perspective, we too can reflect on the beautiful events and relationships of our own lives and see them as the treasures that they are, making for a moving, emotionally stunning conclusion whose impact lingers well after ending.