'A Folded Wish' | CGI Animated Short Film (2020)

A pair of twin sisters attempt to fold a thousand origami cranes in hopes to recover from a fatal disease.

Content Warning: This CGI animated short film contains mature themes and is intended for an older youth audience. Viewer discretion is advised.

"A Folded Wish" is a graduation short film created by 19 students who majored in the Digital Animation and Illustration courses in The One Academy of Communication Design.

The Art and Making of "A Folded Wish":

© 2020 Artmoeba Productions
Artmoeba Productions retains full copyright ownership over this video. Any reproduction or illegal distribution of the content in any form will result in immediate action against the person concerned.

[ArtmoebaProductions]

The team at Artmoeba Productions would like to thank everyone for the messages, shares and encouragement that you've given us.
As clarification, our film production started in January 2019 and is in no way related to COVID-19. Instead, we explored the influence of tuberculosis on Japanese citizens in the 1940s (post WWII). 
Nevertheless, we offer our heartfelt sympathy in light of the current pandemic, and hope that everyone stays safe and healthy during this difficult time. ❤️

[deeptivirgo]

Both the girls were sick. They were making paper cranes together to wish recovery for each other. However the pink girl cud make the thousandth one first and wished recovery for her sister however lost her life. At the end we can see the two cranes together pink and blue which cud also hint that the 2nd sister also died some time later and they are together symbolized by the two cranes together. This is my sense of the story. Heart touching story!!

[cinnanofan]

"the worst part is when someone who gives you the best memory, becomes a memory"

[hollyflood]

The sound of the grandmother crying was so real. I could feel her heartbreak. What a tragically beautiful story

[strlghta]

This Story was inspired by Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese Girl who was born in Hiroshima in 1943. At the age of 2, she had gotten leukaemia; a sort of blood cancer, from radiation from a radioactive bomb sent by the U.S. she had to drop out from school because it had gotten severe. Then, she heard of a myth that if you make 1000 origami cranes, you can make any wish you want. So she kept on making cranes but unfortunately, she died at the age of 12 due to her sickness of leukemia. She only made around 644 cranes. Her friends and family continued making cranes until there were 1000. There is now a memorial statue of her in Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park.

[Stereo]

To clarify in case somebody dosnt fully understand:
In Asian culture, it is believed that if you fold a thousand paper cranes, you will be granted a wish. This was made popular after a little girl tried to do this to get better after receiving Leukemia after the bombing of Hiroshima. There is an exhibit in the Hiroshima museum dedicated to the little girl, children, and world peace. It is filled with origami cranes.

[kristabautzmann]

I notice that no one is talking about this, but I think at the end it seem that both girls have sadly died. That’s why there’s two paper cranes (Pink and Blue just like the little girls) at the and why the pink one said that they’ll “always be together”... at death they are still with each other. 🥺

[superidol]

The fact they kept wishing for each other to be better is just heart warming. It shows they truely
care about each other.

[CozyQuilt]

This one has me crying harder than any other animation. It's such a beautiful story. The crying fully broke me. It's heart-breaking to see a little girl cry, especially over something like this.

[cierra]

Can we give a moment of silence to the grandmother. Like this women lost both of her grand children in a matter of a couple years(presumably)

[aldenheterodyne]

I'm not a twin, and I think both girls died in this story, but... I can't imagine living every day and seeing my dead sister in the mirror as she would've been if she had lived. That would be... Hell on earth.

[cai]

i know ive watched this many times but i still manage to shed atleast 2 tears everytime i watch it. the girls cry is so real and the fact this is inspired by a real girl who died from leukemia. this short will never get old for me.

[alya_udo]

I just don’t understand: why are there so many stupid, violent, sexist and superficial cartoons and anime all over the tv and cinema, when students can create such heart-touching, meaningful and tender animation? What do we do wrong?
Guys, your animation is great! I really really wish success to all of you 🍀

[byunbit]

The sound of the girl's cry when he sister passes away is so real. The way animated characters speak usually sound a little different from how people talk in real life, but that girl's cry just sounds as real as a cry can be.

[jolinvarghese]

It's based on the belief that if you make one thousand paper cranes, your wish will be fulfilled. Its sad that the blue girl wanted the thousandth paper crane to be made to wish for her sister's life, but her sister did it before that night and wished for the blue girl.

It was wonderful watching this.

[watinealhouri]

the best animators know how to make us cry without using words.

[dominiccarment]

This animation is so sad and yet so beautiful. I cry every time I watch this. You should be grateful for your family and never forget that they love you no matter what. ❤❤❤

[charlestaylor]

Why do you guys do this. I'm a 54 year old man, and you just broke my heart.

[qytlbgf]

Hi I’m Japanese
Thank you for making this video.

This was a sad story, but Origami is one of the beautiful culture in Japan 🇯🇵

I’m glad that origami story moved many people’s hearts in other countries.
😊😢😊😢😊

[mynameisnowtrevor]

My English teacher showed this in class, and I was left shaking to a point where I couldn’t hold a pen. But, some of my classmates started to mock the other girl’s pain by mimicking her sobs, and throughout the film, the coughs. But again, this was a middle school class, and middle schoolers can be jerks. I also gave an example of my own about a 7 year old girl who got hit by a car and lived, but was psychologically broken.