WHAT WE IMAGINED is an extraordinary and deeply inspiring short film that celebrates the boundless creativity of childhood. Directed by Shubhavi Arya, the film grew organically from a collaborative workshop with two young girls, aged eight and nine, whose energy, curiosity, and spontaneous ideas formed the heartbeat of the project. In a magical park where two children meet across a divide — one swift as a cheetah, the other once feared — the film unfolds a story of transformation, imagination, and self-discovery. Through playful questions, sketches, and a “desktop of dreams,” the young creators invite audiences into a world where differences are celebrated, mistakes are stepping stones, and curiosity and friendship open the door to change.

What sets WHAT WE IMAGINED apart is the process behind its creation. Arya employed evidence-based educational strategies, applied behavior analysis, and structured informatics methods to guide the children’s creativity. She transformed their raw ideas into a coherent cinematic narrative while preserving the spontaneity, rhythm, and honesty of their voices. Every drawing, sequence, and frame reflects moments of persistence, experimentation, repetition, and discovery. In doing so, the film becomes not just a story but a demonstration of how science, psychology, and art can converge to nurture creativity and amplify often-overlooked voices.

 

The film’s visual and narrative approach is intimate and immersive, capturing the unique logic and wonder of a child’s perspective. The drawings are filled with pastel colors and reflect the imagery of childhood. The voices of the two little girls add authenticity and empathy to a story that is powerful in its simplicity. It highlights how imagination can be a tool for empathy, courage, and connection, allowing viewers to experience the transformative power of seeing the world through a child’s eyes. Its central message — “Be who you are, even if you’re still figuring it out” — emphasizes authenticity, bravery, and acceptance.

 

WHAT WE IMAGINED feels like a small workshop of imagination, where childhood isn’t observed from a distance but invited to shape the narrative. Arya creates a cinematic environment that protects the children’s spontaneity while giving it room to grow. The result is a film that doesn’t try to “depict” young voices but to listen to them — and that listening is the film’s quiet power.

Arya’s background in animation, psychology, and technology is evident throughout the work. You can sense both her analytical understanding of how young minds create meaning and her openness to the unpredictable nature of play. There is structure, but never the kind that constrains. Instead, the film thrives on a delicate tension between guidance and freedom, making the creative process itself part of the narrative.

Its recognition as  Best Student Short Film at the Amsterdam New Cinema Film Festival comes as no surprise. The film shows how thoughtful mentorship can amplify children’s imagination rather than shape it. Arya doesn’t step in front of the children’s creativity; she stands beside it, letting their voices lead.

Her trajectory — beginning in adolescence with Adventures of Malia and later informed by her studies in computer science and psychology — resurfaces here with clarity. WHAT WE IMAGINED modest in length, but it is expansive in intent: a reminder that cinema can be both a space of learning and a place of wonder.

​

About the Director – Shubhavi Arya

Shubhavi Arya is an Indian filmmaker, animator, and writer based between Minneapolis, USA, and New Delhi, India. She began creating films at a young age, directing her first award-winning short, *Adventures of Malia*, at 16. With a dual degree in Computer Science and Psychology from the University of Minnesota, Arya blends technical skill and understanding of human behavior to guide creativity. Her work often explores imagination, learning, and the development of young voices through thoughtful, supportive storytelling.