''The Sparky Book'' is a 2006
animated/live-action short film by
Newfoundland filmmaker
Mary Lewis, about the near-death of a young girl who undergoes
heart transplant
A heart transplant, or a cardiac transplant, is a surgical transplant procedure performed on patients with end-stage heart failure or severe coronary artery disease when other medical or surgical treatments have failed. , the most common procedu ...
surgery, and the death of her beloved pet dog, Sparky.
The story is based on the experiences of the director's own sister, Leah, who had two
kidney transplants as a child.
Michael Winter wrote a
short story
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...
''The Sparky Book'' after their dog had died. Director Lewis then loosely based her film on the short story. The film is narrated by a
goldfish
The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have bec ...
, voiced by
Gordon Pinsent
Gordon Edward Pinsent (born July 12, 1930) is a Canadian actor, writer, director, and singer. He is known for his roles in numerous productions, including ''Away from Her'', '' The Rowdyman'', '' John and the Missus'', ''A Gift to Last'', ''Due S ...
, with voice of Sparky by
Joel Thomas Hynes. Leah Lewis appears in the film as "Bridget," a character based upon herself.
Produced by the
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...
, the film received the
Golden Sheaf Award
Yorkton Film Festival (YFF) is an annual film festival held in late May in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada.
In 1947, the Yorkton Film Council (YFC) was founded and in 1950 the first international documentary film festival officially opened in we ...
for
best experimental film and the Bill Boyle Award for Excellence in Screenwriting at
Flicks: Saskatchewan International Youth Film Festival.
In 2008, ''The Sparky Book'' was the sole film from
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic Canada, Atlantic region. The province comprises t ...
to selected to
CBC TV's "Short Film Faceoff", a six-part series showcasing films from
Atlantic Canada.
References
External links
Watch ''The Sparky Book'' at NFB.ca*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sparky Book
2006 films
National Film Board of Canada animated short films
Films based on short fiction
Films set in Newfoundland and Labrador
Films with live action and animation
Films about dogs
Biographical films about children
Films shot in Newfoundland and Labrador
2000s animated short films
2006 animated films
2000s English-language films