Not a word is spoken in this four-minute animated film, but in that short time a great love story is told. Sherwin’s heart starts beating uncontrollably and literally jumps out of his chest when he lays his eyes on his crush, Jonathan, a fellow classmate from school. Shy, nervous, and insecure, Sherwin is forced to follow his heart, which has taken the lead in pursuit of Jonathan.

Sherwin chases his heart, but by the time he catches up with it, he discovers that his heart has already nuzzled up to Jonathan. As Sherwin tries to regain control of his heart, he and Jonathan lock eyes and begin pulling the heart in opposite directions. Other students look on with noticeable confusion. When his heart breaks in two and he is only able to grab half of it, Sherwin runs away and hides.

Sherwin is literally heartbroken and Jonathan holds the missing piece. Will Jonathan return the heart to its rightful owner or will Sherwin continue to be brokenhearted?

"In a Heartbeat" is honestly one of my favorite short films of all time and I Absolutely recommend it. It’s short and sweet and a perfect film that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. "In a Heartbeat" is the 2017 senior thesis project written and directed by Esteban Bravo and Beth David, two students from the Ringling College of Art and Design. Esteban and Beth managed to tell a beautiful love story without saying a word. The animated short film was an immediate internet sensation, quickly amassing millions of views because it is emotional, touching, innovative, and inspiring. It is a story of true love told in a heartbeat.

"In a Heartbeat" is a beautiful reminder that the heart wants what—and whom—the heart wants. If something—or someone—is important to you, don’t hide your true feelings. Even though it might be scary and, perhaps, a little uncomfortable, let your heart take the lead. You just never know when following your heart is going to lead you to true love.

Kids love animation and so do many adults. This film is not only sweet and heartwarming, but it also teaches many lessons. The content and the characters are definitely relatable for many children. From a social-emotional perspective, it promotes understanding, acceptance, and diversity. If adults would start introducing and normalizing the idea of same-sex relationships to children early on in their lives, there would be less opportunity for children to learn intolerance and discrimination. Children would also understand that it’s okay to be who they are, feel how they feel, and ultimately follow their hearts—and expect others to do the same.

In this day and age, I’m surprised that adults are still so hesitant about creating LGBTQ characters and films for children. If this story were told the way it was originally pitched, the characters would have been a boy and a girl—not two boys. The film would have likely still been “cute,” but it certainly wouldn’t have been as meaningful, unique, or personal as it is with same-sex characters. I doubt that it would have had the same impact on the internet either.

Sherwin and Jonathan are taking a chance on love. Esteban and Beth took a chance on their project. Whoever said you can’t learn anything from cartoons couldn’t have been more wrong.

"In a Heartbeat" has been selected as a recipient of an ARC Award.