Natalie Baird & Toby Gillies
Animated documentary
7 min
2024
Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying is a short meditation on love, grief, and imagination. The hand-drawn animated documentary was created through a collaboration between mother, elder and narrator Edith Almadi and filmmakers Natalie Baird and Toby Gillies. This poetic piece celebrates life and the transformative ability of art to elevate and transcend us. Through vivid drawings and Edith’s simple yet magical words, the film explores our enduring bond with loved ones who have passed. In honouring her son’s life within the cosmos, Edith’s artworks embody colours, shapes and metaphors that remind us of the timeless power of love, gravity, and grace until our final breaths.
Available for free across Canada at www.nfb.ca
Stills from Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying
An example of Edith’s art 
Inteviewing Edith through her window during COVID-19 restrictions
Ink on paper animation
Film screening and celebration at Misericordia Health Centre (Edith’s home)