From Omeleto.
Two men become friends.
NATE AND JOHN is used with permission from Jumai Yusuf. Learn more at https://instagram.com/nateandjohnfilm.
Nate is a Black barber’s assistant in a barbershop in the 1960s, learning his trade and building a life amid the social tumult of the times. John is a white teenage hippie whose father is forcing him to get a haircut, landing him in Nate’s chair.
What starts as a simple haircut turns into a lifelong bond, as John keeps visiting Nate at various points in their life. They may come from different worlds, but they discover points of commonality as they become men, embark on career moves and start families, sharing laughter and grief over time.
Directed by Jumai Yusuf and written by David Bickel and Michael Bickel, this poignant and heartwarming animated short is a beautifully realized portrait of a friendship between two men. From youthful rebellion to family milestones to everything in between, the narrative charts how Nate and John grow through life, sharing and supporting one another through societal changes, life transitions and emotional heartaches. It traverses a large period of time, taking advantage of animation’s imaginative fluidity and flexibility to convey the arcs of each man’s life. But through it all, their friendship remains a touchstone.
The storytelling works with no spoken dialogue, save for a brief news broadcast announcing Martin Luther King Jr.’s death. But despite this, its deft command of characterization — rendered in warmly humble, colorful line animation whose simplicity belies its expressiveness — captures Nate and John’s personalities and backgrounds, which are quite different. Their races and socioeconomic backgrounds are different, yet they meet again and again over the years in the welcoming community space of the barbershop.
We don’t hear any of their conversations over the years, though the soulful jazz score creates ebb, flow and textures of emotions with each life development. But we can see the care and loyalty build between Nate and John, as well as the ease of their bond. Through the film’s deep, engaging storytelling, we witness the universality of human connection, when two people bring good faith, authenticity and openness to one another, building trust and empathy that helps carry them as they age.
When Nate misses an appointment for the first time, we understand how worried John is and how important Nate’s friendship has been to him. That realization culminates in a shared moment of recognition and loss and ends the film on an achingly poignant note. Through its simplicity and sincerity, NATE & JOHN leaves us with the understanding that grief is just love that has nowhere to go anymore — and grateful that we’ve spent time with such a profound and moving story.
