Toys (2016)

Made using hand-crafted stop-motion collage animation, "Toys" tells the autobiographical father-daughter story of actress Peggy Pope. In 1930s farm country, Peggy's father wanted a son, but he got her. He tries to toughen up his little girl by giving her toys intended for boys: knives, bats, lariats, guns. One day, he brings home an archery set. To his astonishment, she proves a savant and goes on a shooting spree around the yard, coming into her own and making him fear for his life. By accident, she shoots too close to him, narrowly missing his head with her speeding arrow. Time stops. He looks at her--afraid, amazed, and more than a little proud. It is the first moment in her life, she says, where she feels he actually sees her. The film is narrated by Peggy Pope, looking back on this momentous encounter with her dad. "Toys" is made entirely by hand using paper dolls, cutout photographs, and vintage paper.