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The Land Beyond The Sunset

Director: Harold M. Shaw
Year: 1912
Runtime: 0:14
Source: Youtube

This is a great short film to watch if you're spending a hot summer in the city.  It was made by a little-known director as something of a PSA about the Fresh Air Fund, a non-profit which let inner-city children vacation in the countryside. (It's still going strong today!)

A poor young newsie with an endearingly tattered cap gets to take a break from child labor and parental abuse, and join a group of kids for one day in the great outdoors.

In many ways this would be the prototype of the heartwarming Pixar short, if the ending wasn't so poignant and bittersweet.  It's such a simple little film, but one that's absolutely worth 14 minutes of your life.






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