Lou must manage the unkind behavior of the schoolyard bully J.J., who has not yet learned that giving can be so much more fulfilling than taking away.
“Bullies are usually just acting out because they’re awkward or young and don’t have their moral compass set. In a weird way, they sometimes feel invisible, too,” Mullins says. “If you can find out what their motivations are, maybe you can solve some things. “That’s what I like about Lou: True happiness comes from giving,” the director says. “Lou gets J.J. to understand that."
When a toy stealing bully ruins recess for a playground full of kids, only one thing stands in his way: the “Lost and Found” box.
For Director Dave Mullins, who moved frequently as a youth, creating a hidden character was the initial inspiration for his short film “LOU.”
To a new student first days at school can be isolating and scary, recalls Mullins “You either feel invisible because you don’t know the other kids or you’re embarrassed and you want to be invisible. I thought it’d be really cool to have a character who could hide in plain sight.”