Saba, the Boy Who Bids Farewell to His Grandfather in a World Where Gravity Flows Upward

Saba is a 2026 animated short about a boy facing loss after a storm disrupts life with his grandfather in a world where gravity flows upward. Director Liron Topaz tells the story in a continuous, hand

《Saba》 is a short animated film about a grandfather and grandson living in a house secured with ropes in a world where gravity flows in reverse. When a storm snaps one of the ropes holding the house in place, their lives are changed irreversibly. After losing his grandfather, the boy travels through this unfamiliar world, searching for a clue to help him accept the separation. The film was presented as a world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival.

A World That Floats, and the Desire to Hold On

The rules of this world are simple. Living beings remain on the ground, but everything that is not alive floats upward. The practice of securing houses and objects with ropes to keep from losing them turns the character’s effort to hold on to memories and relationships after loss into a concrete action. The storm both destroys this order and becomes the starting point for the changes the boy must face alone.

Grief Unfolding in a Single Movement

Liron Topaz structured the entire film as one continuous shot without cuts and chose hand-drawn animation. By connecting approximately 14,000 frames, this approach allows viewers to follow the boy’s movement and emotional changes in a single breath rather than seeing them broken apart. The composition focuses less on the technical device itself than on how floating objects and severed ropes alter the time experienced by the person left behind.

Topaz also wrote the screenplay, with Lirit Rosenzweig Topaz serving as producer. Miyu Distribution handles international distribution, and the production company is listed as Neko Productions. Unfolding over 10 minutes without dialogue, the story explores memory, farewell, and the desire to remain connected just one more time through the relationship between a grandfather and grandson.