Tran and Grandpa are each other’s most favorite person in the world. They do everything together. How would she ever cope if Grandpa were to go away? One day, Grandpa gives her a handful of 'special' beans. And they plant the beans together like everything they have ever done in the past, but this time, Tran comes to learn about acceptance of loss, memories, and legacy of your loved ones.
“Grandpa’s Beans” is an animated interactive narrative site that accompanies a self-illustrated children's book of the same name.
Through the years, I spent a lot of time thinking about grief. The sudden passing of my loved ones, whom I have grown up with and have spent most of my life loving, never failed to make me a small child again, scared and lonely - every single time. Inevitably, it made me think of the children who have yet to understand the loss of death enough to find a way to cope with it. The passing of a family member is, and always will be, a hard topic to discuss, especially much more so with children.
Through my thesis, I want to reflect on the loss and the legacy of our loved ones. Let the story takes the audience, no matter the age, through a journey to remember and celebrate the memories we made together. I strive to do it in a way that will honor my own memories, culture, and love ones as well.