Here's the Touching Personal Story Behind This Filipino-Made Short Film

Trying to find inspiration for art is perhaps one of the most challenging parts of being a creator. There’s a belief that experience is the most authentic way for an artist to feel inspired. But what happens when something unexpected happens—an experience that drives such an emotional impact that there’s simply no other choice but to make art out of it? 

AppleTV’s animated short Blush takes this route as Emmy-winning writer Joe Mateo took from his own life experiences. The 10-minute film revolves around a gardener astronaut who crashes into an empty planet after an asteroid hits his ship. It’s only when another fellow crashlander comes that the astronaut starts to live in a different way with a renewed perspective. 

Though it came out nearly a month ago, its story is one that still resonates with a lot of people due its origins. It was inspired by Mateo’s wife Mary Ann, who passed away four and a half years ago in a battle with breast cancer. “I struggled to go back to work,” said the former Disney animator in an interview with Indie Wire. “But that same night when I lost her, I couldn’t breathe. I had to call a doctor friend of ours about this panic attack, which I’d never experienced before. And I’m fortunate that I had my kids around me.”

The short served as a path to healing. It included several personal touches, such as the famed Filipino mango, which was his wife’s favorite fruit. And the tiny planet where the two main characters live in shows the world that the couple built for themselves. A number of the plants in the film were also inspired by their own garden. Even the title itself comes from the way that Mary Ann blushed often, a heartwarming tribute to when the couple first met in college.

The entire collaboration was done through Zoom, along with a few of Mateo’s former Disney co-workers. Some of these included Nathan Greno, who was one of the directors for the 2010 film Tangled. The animated short was also produced by Heather Schmidt Feng Yanu, who worked on the Cars trilogy. One of the creative decisions made in the process was the fact that there would be no dialogue in the film.

“I wanted to keep this universally themed,” said Mateo in a Variety interview.

Ultimately, the short goes beyond creativity for the purpose of art. It’s the sort of story for healing and understanding. The film gives viewers who have similar experiences an opportunity to have conversations that may be difficult but overall helpful in dealing with grief. 

“I’m in a happier place now and it’s part of the process of moving on,” said Mateo, “and I liked sharing that. I hope this short can be a tool for families to talk about this grieving process.”

You can watch the trailer for Blush below. Blush is now streaming in the Philippines on Apple TV+.