In 2024, the world saw Pakistan’s firsthand-drawn animated feature film, Usman Riaz’s The Glassworker, gracing the stage of Annecy and preparing for its reward at the Oscars. It is a deeply personal tale of war and romance. Not only is the story personal, but the entire herculean task of setting up a studio to produce this film magnifies its character. In The Glassworker, we meet young Vincent Oliver, who co-owns a glass-making workshop and store with his father, Tomas Oliver. Tomas has single-handedly raised his child and worked towards the acclaim that Oliver Glass receives from the townspeople. Over the years, he has made Vincent a master glassworker like himself. However, their lives are upended by the imminent war.
In the present day, Vincent is a young man who is ready to have his glass masterpieces exhibited. Guided by Tomas, Vincent prepares a catalogue of his works. As he sifts through his old items at the workshop, a glowing ball of light appears before him. Vincent thinks it is a djinn. The djinn guides Vincent to open a box that has been collecting dust for years. He opens the box and finds his old belongings. An exquisitely handcrafted glass butterfly, a pink ruby gemstone, and a letter addressed to Vincent– these are all the things that the mysterious box contains. The letter is from Vincent’s long-lost friend, Alliz Amano. The narrative then drifts back to when Vincent was just a little boy, serving as an apprentice in his father’s workshop. Alliz’s first memory of Vincent dates back to the time when she was drawn inside Oliver Glass by the magical things on display.
Spoilers Ahead
How do Vincent and Alliz become friends?
In the flashback, we see the town of Waterfront welcoming the army with much furore. It is only Tomas who is dismayed by the army’s parade. He shouts at the Colonel and asks the army to leave the town. Tomas gets cornered by the others and labelled as a pacifist. Vincent spots a carriage behind the Colonel on horseback. He recognizes the girl as the one who showed up unannounced at their store. It is Alliz, the daughter of the Colonel. The bond between the children develops amidst this hostile environment. While little Vincent prepares to become a master glassmaker, the music department of the town’s academy catches Alliz’s fancy. Both the kids are shown to be excelling in their interests, namely glassmaking and music.
How does Tomas become involved with the army?
One night, Colonel Amano shows up unannounced at the Oliver household. He gets roughed by the soldiers and is asked to comply with the Colonel’s wishes. Amano shows him a peculiar device, the quicksilver rectifier, which is used to power the army’s airships. Made of glass, the devices tend to break easily. Colonel Amano wants Tomas to make high-quality glass for the devices. When Tomas protests, Colonel has his men arm-twist him to send him to the frontline. Tomas is forced to agree. The father and son grudgingly become a part of the war. The djinn in the cave remains a witness to this.
What does Tomas lose in the war?
Tomas has been known for being guided by his moral compass even during the war. When most of the townspeople cheer for war, we see Tomas standing his ground with his rejection of the war. Getting involved in the army, even if forcibly, is already a big blow to him. However, his next great loss inflicts the greatest trauma on him. As the war moves to the North, Colonel Amano also asks his family to prepare for a transfer. By then, circumstances have pulled Vincent and Alliz apart. Vincent starts harboring animosity towards Alliz for calling him a coward and choosing Malik Khan as her future partner. On the other hand, Alliz, who had waited expectantly for Vincent to turn up on the night of her violin recital is dejected. Despite making it to the event, Vincent fails to witness Alliz play due to a foul play by a soldier. All these secret resentments cause Vincent to grow revengeful. He fudges with the glass material of the rectifiers. When Tomas realises what his son has done, he tries his best to stop the lowering of the box. However, the box carrying the rectifiers is so heavy that Tomas’ arm gets severed from his body. The rectifiers are not saved either.
What could have happened to Alliz after the war?
Word spreads about Vincent Oliver’s exhibition, and people flock from everywhere to visit it. Vincent is acclaimed greatly for his craft. Upon returning home, he puts Alliz’s letter into the workshop furnace. He finishes reading Alliz’s letter and comes to understand her point of view. However, since there is no point in holding on to the past, Vincent tries to let go of the letter and Alliz’s memories. The furnace suddenly emanates a bright blue glow. The letter burns but Alliz appears. The two go to the sea. The sand of the sea is magical, and the djinn lives by the sea.
The Glassworker‘s ending of the story comes with its share of infinite possibilities. It could mean that Vincent has made Alliz appear before him through his vivid imagination. However, the story also has a supernatural layer to it, lest we forget. The other explanation could be that Alliz has turned into a djinn. There is no rational explanation for the blue orb that appears and guides Vincent to open the box. He just instinctively understands that it is a djinn. The ending is perhaps indicative of the fact that Alliz does not survive the war. So, after her death, she takes the form of a djinn and returns to Waterfront, a place she loved so dearly. Early in their childhood, Vincent and Alliz went on a quest to find the djinn in their cave and understand if it’s evil or benign. So, there is a possibility that Alliz becomes the benign djinn to protect the sand and the water.
Why is war such an important premise for the film?
The Glassworker positions itself against war, that is, it is an anti-war film. It is a recounting of the accounts of war, perhaps very personal, and what it does to the people involved. It also poses one demanding question: how far do our personal principles take us even in the face of such atrocities? War and peace are not just the dealings of the government and the people at the warfront. It is as much about the choices we make individually in our personal lives, as much a reflection of the ideas we subscribe to.
The Olivers do not just keep out of trouble for the sake of being the good guys. They vehemently oppose the war and invite trouble. When Tomas agrees to make the glass shells for the rectifiers, we are not disappointed by his act. In fact, we see his choice through and with empathy. His countless acts, both in private and public, in condemnation of the war surpass this one act. Therefore, Tomas does not become a traitor to us. To Tomas, all human lives merit the same importance. So, despite his bitterness, he never takes recourse to violence or even treachery. He loses his arm in the process. Only a craftsman such as Tomas knows the value of his arms.
How do the children discover the power of art and music?
The Glassworker is a commentary on how the power of art and music magnifies life’s pleasures. The children come close and find resonance with each other because of their shared interest in creativity. Art and music are two of the most life-affirming elements. Franz Kafka once equated music with the sea due to its characteristic endlessness. In the film, this equation between sea and music is foregrounded through Alliz. Alliz’s penchant for the sea and the djinn by the sea, her violin crescendo that reverberates long after it ends, and her friendship with Vincent– everything is endless.
Does the recurrent imagery of glass bear any intrinsic meaning?
The choice of having glass and the different ways to approach it as the central concern of an animated film is interesting. In the very beginning, Tomas teaches a young Vincent the right skill to make a painting of a glass object. Too much paint and it loses its transparent quality. It almost reads like a self-reflexive account. The Glassworker is Pakistan’s first 2-D animation feature film, and to depict glass so abundantly as an object in animation in its first venture is no easy feat. The delicacy and the luminosity of the material have to be rightly placed in front of the audience. The imagery of the glass also mirrors the beauty and fragility of life for the Waterfront people and in general. The endless possibilities with glass – the different forms it take after melting, cutting, and molding – are akin to the experiences and possibilities that shape human life.
