''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