GRUFF | A Short Film by Righteous Robot 

I loved the moment when you saw the wall filled with his daughter's accomplishments and realised he was saying it all without words

We can *NEVER* forget this man who allowed us to enjoy this serious paper movie for *FREE*

As a grown man, I've never bawled so hard before beside on the day of my father's funeral. This brings so much memories back, thank you.

The fact you captured the emotion of literal paper dolls is such real talent

The cinematic storytelling is so incredible; the way her entire life she's been sitting facing the armchair, seeing nothing but the quiet nod. But when she actually sat in the armchair, seeing things from her father's perspective, she saw all the appreciation he's been harbouring all those years.

The fact that he was always staring at his daughter's accomplishments. He always sat there to marvel at her, he was truly a proud father.

This should be entered into a film festival, the labour of love that produced a 9 minute film that captures raw emotion like this was amazingly done.

I’m sobbing because my Pop (grandfather) passed away last month, 3/15, and this reminded me so much of him. He ALWAYS used to watch old westerns and was under-spoken but always loved and cared for us so deeply. I came into this short film just because of the paper-puppetry style, completely clueless that it would encompass my Pop so well. Thank you for putting so much hard work into this project ❤

I really love how in the reveal of the true perspective of that chair. its not facing the tv. its facing the wall of all her accomplishments. but the thing i REALLY love is that the things front and center have nothing to do with her career as a spy but instead focus on her accomplishments growing up. the ones he got to share with her personally. the marshal art competitions her at dance practice. her graduation pictures of her in his lap. those are dead center on the wall.

"But when you run from the quiet, you might miss what they've been saying... All along" SO BEAUTIFULLY DONE

I can’t get over this at all… it’s technically and artistically brilliant. But more than that it’s deeply moving. I lost my mum last year after her going through chemo, I have memories of coming home with my wife and my 4yo daughter in her pretty funeral dress. I hadn’t shed a tear since that day, refusing to acknowledge all the things this video so painfully and beautifully highlights. And now, as I stand in my kitchen, a 36 year old ex-soldier, biker, covered in tattoos and scars, I’m finally letting go of the pain. Thank you for making this film.

Wow, I'm in tears. This short really touched me. This is my life! My relationship with my old man. I really want to go back home to visit him. My old man is just like the dad in the short. Very quiet, and doesn't communicate his emotions at all. I always feel unloved by my dad. He's always been so cold and distant no matter what. When I tell him my major accomplishments. He just says "that's good" and nods his head. That's all I never get from him. Now that I have my first apartment, I've become the main character of this short. I don't communicate with him. I don't visit. I don't call. I basically gave up because I felt like he didn't care. Also, just like the dad in the short, he got sick from old age. He doesn't do much but sit around and watch TV all day. He always watches old movies and shows. Especially Jackie Chan and Tom and Jerry. Ever since I was young, that's all he does. Watch old school tv, or watch repair videos on youtube. This short made me realize that my dad does care, he just cares in his own way. Just like the old man in the short, he always keeps my accomplishments. Every metal I've won. All of my drawings I made for him. My birthday dress from when I was 1 years old. My graduation cap and gown etc. Things I've bought him over a decade ago, he still has and he takes good care of it. I remember me and my mom sewed him an traditional garment, and he worse it for 15 years until it was torn to shreds and he refused to get rid of it. My mom ended up throwing it away in secret. Now I realize why he was so upset when he couldn't find it. It never dawned on me that it was sentimental. This short gave me a perspective I never saw. Now I see that he cares. He just doesn't communicate it. I don't know how to thank the creator of this channel. ❤

“Some things, don’t have words. So we have to be close enough to feel them.”

IT'S FINALLY HERE! 3 years of hard work and dedication, AND ITS TOTALLY WORTH IT.

I love that the message of this short is present from the very start, when he takes the girl's crown without questioning it, appreciating her gift. This is a visual and emotional masterpiece

Not everyone shows love the same way, but the people who do truely love you always try to do their best to show it in their own way

It’s the fact that he had the dedication to spend 3 years on 9min MASTERPIECE IS JUST CRAZY I HAVE SO MUCH RESPECT FOR YOU MAN Guys thank you sooo much for 830 likes

That shot where when she sits down in his chair and it reveals the view he had all those years, which was all her achievements he was so proud of, i nearly cried.

Growing up, i've always craved for my dad's acknowledgement. In 2021, he told me, "I see you. I know you work hard". I cried so much thst day. Right now, my dad is so old. He doesn't have any grandchild yet, because my sisters and i are still figuring out our lives. Despite having huge phobia for childbirth, i just want to get married and give him just one grand child. I don't want to loose him before that happens. Watching this short film reminded me how much i care about him. He is my favorite person after all, and i just have to listen more God! I'm bawling! Thank you Righteous Robot

i cannot thank you enough for making this masterpiece. my grandfather recently passed away, and up until now i was always angry at how he would never speak to me or tell me i was enough. looking back at it, he's done so much to me through acts of service and quality time than words of affirmation. thank you for making me realize that he always thought i was enough.

I love how the tv show repeats the words "I have mi familia and they are strong in ways I am not". Such a beautiful quote!

The fact that it took this man 3 years to make an 8 minute short shows how much he cared about this project.

My mom passed last week. This short perfectly captures our relationship in those final days. We could never understand each other... but at the end all that remained or mattered was the love. What a hard lesson to learn... that the love is all that mattered.

I don’t cry at things easily, but this made me sob uncontrollably. I showed it to my parents and both of them were crying too. I lost my grandfather four years ago. This animation was so scarily accurate that it actually spooked my family. He looked exactly the same as her dad in the animation, we also called him papa, and he was in the military. This animation is beautiful. Sir, from the bottom of my heart, you have made an impact on my family as a whole. It made us feel in touch with my grandfather even after he passed. Thank you for this. You are amazing and brilliant. ❤️

I love how he advertised the action parts as the movie and then hit us with one of the most soul-crushing masterpieces posted

I love how the photos on the wall are actual photos. This person went through the hassle of making extra cut out puppets, props, and backgrounds just to be used for a little photo on a wall. That is the kind of dedication I love seeing.

My 7 year old son makes creations out of paper and Amazon boxes. If this type of artistry is in his future I can't wait to see what he can do. This short film was truly inspiring. ❤

1. Im going to go call my dad. 2. That was beautiful, the animation, the art style, the story. Just beautiful. 3. Im not crying... You're crying!

the fact that this dude spent 3 years straight to make a 9 minute animation on his own really shows how dedicated he is. amazing

4 characters 9 minutes 3 years of effort =Masterpiece 😊

Bellísima, elegante, con la apropiada cantidad de dulzura, calidez y excelente trama. ¡Merece varios Oscars! Se la enviaré a todos

This single 9 minute animation had a better plot than most movies that come out today, this is a true masterpiece and I almost cried watching it

The fact that this guy put three years in this and he did this alone and we didn't have to pay for it is amazing itself

I love how the super-spy's action and praise is described as "living LOUDER", how she craved and chased the SOUND of applause, but found the deepest love in *silence.* The narration unifies the theme with its own language. And an even deeper irony is that this film's most demonstrative moments aren't characters exchanging witty dialogue, but them quietly touching hands and being close. The narration describes the characters' mindsets, and then the visuals deliver the gut punching catharsis.

Вау..это неописуемо, тронуло до самой глубины души..до слез.. Я восхищаюсь вами и вашим трудом, не смогу представить сколько труда было вложено.. Здесь действительно нет нужных слов, которые могли бы описать этот маленький, но чудесный фильм..

“some things don’t have words so we have to be closer to feel them” this is so precious

the fact that he dedicated 2 years into this 9 minute film is just so heartfelt

2 years for a high quality, 9 minute video, all made by one person. Imagine what he’ll make when he gets bigger, and actually gets a crew working behind him. This is the start of something great.

This is the first set of minutes of 'Up' levels of sad. Beautiful project and an even more beautiful level of dedication, care and effort. I love this.

I’m a daughter of a man of few words and it took me a long time to become fluent in his love language. It’s the movies he makes me sit through, the books he gives me to read, the painting I did for him in 9th grade that he still has hung up on the wall. Thank you ❤

3 years of work, 10 minutes of film, and 10 years of history and emotion. This short was absolutely amazing.

When one dude can make a better heartfelt film than multi-billion dollar companies, it shows you that a studio doesn’t need a boat load of money to make something good.

8:35 this is so underrated it made me cry. Sometimes love doesn’t require speaking. One action can make a whole heart.

Well I just bawled my eyes out 😭 what an incredible short film. When I was in highschool my senior year I had an english teacher that would show short films almost every friday to start the class. We would write about what happened and things we noticed and then discuss with her and the rest of the class. We'd talk about deeper meanings, hidden details, writing techniques, all sorts of things. I cant remember the name of a certain short film we watched but it made me (and quite a few others) just cry and cry it was so powerful and moving. Honestly im ashamed i cant remember much about it, but this instantly made me think of it. Youve created a masterpiece and brought back part of a memory I had forgotten that was important to me in more ways than one. Thank you.

I started slowly tearing up when she said "but the silence caught up to them..."

Boy, this is really the golden age of RU-vid indie animation. So many different and totally stunning projects on this platform. I hope this gets the recognition it deserves!

I am crying right now. This film reminded me of my dad. The years were quiet before he passed. I wish I found a way to find peace with it, to have gotten close to him. But it was too late. He was already gone. This is a beautiful film. Thankyou for making it. You truely are great artist with a beautiful heart ❤

This man spend 3 years to make this short film only for us to watch it for free anytime, this man deserves more 🙌🏻🙌🏻

To change angles and realize from the dad’s perspective, he was looking at all her achievements. Quietly appreciating them. The entire wall is just covered. Oh my god.

I waited 2 years for an 9 minute long animation.... and it was worth every second of it.

Guys, this man spent 3 years on this little 9 minute short.Give him some love and respect for doing this for us.❤

This made me cry because this is almost exactly how my grandpa died when I was a kid because he would always watch the western shows and I would find a way to play with him but eventually it was too late but it still felt nice knowing that our last moments together were happy ones, now my little brother will never meet his grandpa tho, he was my best friend 😢

“Some things don’t have words. So we have to be close enough to feel them” My favorite line. Not just said, but felt.

Bo choosing to spend time with her Abuelo doing something _he_ loved was so precious.

I’ve been watching your shorts for awhile now, and I had forgot your channel name and I just found you and realized you released it so I watched it. I am now bawling my eyes out.😭 i never knew such a short film could make me cry so hard😭

This short film has me in tears and spoke to me on far too many levels. After years of no contact with my mother, she received the diagnosis of stage 4 cancer. She got to be with me through my journey into motherhood, before passing before my son turned 1 year. From the bottom of my heart, thank you

The fact that this dude spent 3 YEARS on this 10 MINUTE film is incredible. This film was so sweet and wholesome. This really just proves to never give up.

3 years for a 9 minute movie? Now that is some insane dedication and motivation there and it makes me really appreciate these types of creative videos on RU-vid

This may have been free, but think about how much value this just sparked in everyone. Value that money can never buy.

It took him 3 years to make this. I just cried 3 years' worth of pent up tears. 😢

This guy spent 3 years to give us a beautiful short film. While watching this, I cried, because he created something so amazing and heartfelt. All that time he spent working on this created something truly beautiful ❤

I love how I didn't notice any of the wires and sticks he used to move them, and it was emotional, and you could feel how much effort that was put into the film

Like many people, I started following the making of, and progress of Gruff on TikTok 2-3 years ago. It’s been an honor to see the creativity and talent that went into it and the product did not disappoint. ❤

I'm criying so hard rn. This guy dedicated 3 years of his life into making short film for us to see, FOR FREE😢 I'm gonna cry😢

Man spent TWO YEARS on this MASTERPIECE and we were NOT disappointed.

he gave us what hollywood couldn't. an original story

As an only child constantly exploring but never hearing from her parents, thank you for reminding me that they love me & are proud of me, even if they don’t say it.

Es lo más hermoso que e visto la superación de un padre que deja este mundo la drama, accion tiene todo un 10-10 obra maestra 🥹👍

I'm cryinh so hard rn. This guy dedicated 3 years of his life into making this short film for us to see, FOR FREE

The fact this isn't made by a big movie production company makes this even better.

I saw everyone’s comments and went “PFFFT- I won’t cry” I did. I’m drowning. In tears. They’re mine.

"Some people don't say the things we want, and some of them don't say much at all. But when you run from the quiet, you might miss what they have been saying all along..." I needed this, really. Sometimes we forget how silence can speak so much louder than any words.

I have keep up with the development of gruff since the begin. At first I was simply amazed by the visuals of the project. I loves the art style and the paper puppet's were incredibly. Time after time I found my sifting through as many videos as you had mads about gruff. Im at the point now where the simple tik toks and RU-vid shorts feel like a home from home. Now seeing the full project, it breaks my heart to see this project is done but it also makes me so happy. This film feels like a friend I haven't seen in a long time. That one friend who always with exception makes you smile. So thank you, you really have made a impact on me and its something I'll always hold near.

I literally cried, this is a masterpiece. I want to have so many words to explain what I felt while watching this, but yet I'm left speechless.

Sometimes, the greatest thing in this world is just spending time together with family and loved ones.

Oh my god the scene where the mom sat on her dads chair after the funeral and it showed how all her greatest achievements had been hung up on the wall right next to the dads tv had me SOBBING

I never thought paper puppets would be capable of making me cry. This is truly amazing work.

It is good to know the grandfather loved his family, and that the little girl eventually understood the love that a simple handhold could give.

Knowing that making this 10 min long movie took someone years is making me feel like I should stop the video and stare at every frame to appreciate it

This is the most beautiful peoce of art ive ever watched. The hardwork and dedication makes this so beautiful. I cried watching Gruff and absolutely love it. Thank you

I would pay so much money to see this. It's incredible this is free. This is the first movie I actually cried about. Thank you.

“All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” ― Blaise Pascal, Pensées

The second she appeared in a black dress I started bursting out crying. It’s shocking how a 9 minute short film can say so much.

I'm in tears... I told myself not to get emotional but this story... I have no words except this; If this was the last thing I were to see before I die... I would be proud to say he spent so much time making something this beautiful

you might not find this comment out of the over 50k comments here, but i appreciate how much this has helped me after my dog died 3 months ago, the first time i saw this i was in tears because the grandad reminded me of my dog that died, thank you so much for everything

I don’t think I have been broken by a scene more than that transition to the funeral veil. 😭😭😭

People complaining how this took 2-3 years. They're forgetting all the work behind it. The backgrounds, the different characters, the metal sheets behind the puppets, the animation itself, etc. ARE ALL MADE BY ONE DUDE!!!!! This was absolutely amazing, worth the wait.

This moved me way more than I expected. Had me crying twice in such a short time. Adding this to my Masterpieces playlist. Thank you for your mountainous efforts and for sharing this beautiful message with the world!

😮😢😮😢😮. Absolutely beautiful. Merci. Thanks. Gracias. Obrigado. 🎉

”I have mi Pueblo, mi familia. And they are strong in ways I am not.” Yup, im crying. Thank you for this masterpiece

It's the best way to tell kids to have fun with their grandparents

Im nearly crying, because this shows that words never beat actions and the love that our parents give to us thats why u need to be grateful

This made impressive use of the materials. For example, whenever we saw the hands up close, the paper bent just right to really move like real hands. It's not something I've ever seen in paper puppets before. And there's a tremendous amount of work and detail in every other facet of this short. Truly amazing work.

Dude... You got me so happy that the daughter was staring to bond with her grandfather, then the scene swaps TO THEM WEARING BLACK?? In other news, check out how HARD I CAN CRY.

My grandpa was a nam vet and was always quiet like that, he’d just sit and watch westerns and randomly start spitting life wisdom. Two of my favorite things he ever told me was “god don’t make junk” and “you won’t meet a single person in your life that you won’t learn something from. So be kind to everyone you meet” to this day I try to live up to that and all the things he taught me.

I shed a tear, I love the paper motion, pretty story, pretty characters, just everything about this is warming to a nice soul.

Eu sou brasileira e chorei vendo esse video isso me mostrou o quanto é enportante cuidar da nossa familia .❤❤

A letter of recognition to people who express their love with physical contact, it is really beautiful. Even if it's not to a large extent, it's a gentle and valuable way to signal your affection.

The grandpa liked the movie so much, because he projected himself to the sheriff character. He wanted to be as important to his family and protect them like the character in the movie, but his family was absolutely overachieving, while he was bound to a chair due to cancer. Very touching movie, those years of work really paid of, thank you so much again for putting this on RU-vid for everyone to see.

The fact that this is all made with paper is incredible ❤