How can art heal the human soul?
A question with multiple answers considering the many ways art can become a useful channel to express emotions and one that´s superbly answered in the short film Tiger. Dana Tiger was 5 years old when tragedy struck first. She didn’t understand at first but she was forced to face the incomprehensible. Her mother took the reins, and the family was able to survive. Then tragedy struck again when Dana had grown up. Always death, always with a backdrop of art.
Many don’t know this, but the renowned shirts of the Tiger t-shirt company have a whole story behind them. One that’s perfectly told by writer/director Loren Waters, who has decided to homage her roots by shedding light on the life of a very important Indigenous artist. Dana is a product of everything that took place in the past, and her energy should be enough to let you know how important that is.
Tiger is a beautiful story. It’s a revealing character study that provides an inside look at Dana’s past, present and future. It’s not a secret that Tiger’s story is ridden with all sorts of tragedies, but you would never notice that from seeing her participate in a short glimpse at her life and legacy. You can only sense that you’re in the presence of a genius whose demons are there to haunt her, but it’s only because they’re an essential part of her life.
The film shows her company, Tiger, has become a haven where she can express herself in the aftermath of endless pain. It’s very emotional, of course, but Tiger’s Indigenous background is a vast universe that modern culture has little to share with. Nevertheless, it’s a beautiful and profound platform that can help you overcome the obstacles of life, regardless of how tragic they are. And if you don’t believe it, Dana Tiger could be the hero that convinces you otherwise.
Art is a perfect blank canvas that can hold whatever it is you wish to shoot at it. Dana Tiger had her chance, and she has used it to be able to endure her own condition (she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the late ‘90s). Loren Waters admires her own Indigenous background, and through her subject, we’re able to identify what it is that she’s trying to communicate. It’s complex, deep and very emotional.
I was able to connect with Tiger like I didn’t think I could. I come from a very different culture and traditions, but Tiger is an uplifting approach with a universal message everyone should receive at some point: We´re nothing but dust in the universe, but this doesn’t mean we can’t make an impact.
Film critic. Lover of all things horror. Member of the OFCS. RT Approved Critic.
