Love: one of the most magical and difficult feelings all humans experience; it can make one feel alive, it can be energizing, or fill them with crippling anxiety that makes them forget love’s light. And in July, a form of light and reminder of love’s true magic came from a 4-minute animated film entitled “In a Heartbeat,” created by Beth David and Esteban Bravo from the Ringling College of Art and Design.

It tells the story of a closeted gay boy, named Sherwin, whose heart literally comes out of his chest in an attempt to chase down the boy he is crushing on, Jonathan. The heart has no knowledge or care for judgement from other people, and stops at nothing to bring the two boys together. It truly enhances the meaning of the phrase “The heart wants what it wants.”

The lack of dialogue in the film was purposeful, according to the creators, to enhance the idea that emotions can be expressed through music and facial expressions. The attempt was very successful and led to plenty of tears being shed, including the metaphorical and (spoiler alert) literal breaking of hearts.

“We’re just glad that we’re getting to release it right now because I feel, and we both said, it’ll help change some people’s perspectives around the amount of controversy and hatred that’s been going around lately,” Bravo said to the New York Times. “We just hope that this helps to change, or begin changing, what people think about people in this community and try to understand them better.”

The film expresses just that, it shows the real feelings that members of the LGBT community often have: insecurity and anxiety about their feelings and the judgement coming from other people, as well as strong emotions toward their soulmate.

“In a Heartbeat” is an incredible work of art that took over a year and a half to make. It earned over 3.5 million views within a few hours of being online and earned over 20 film festival awards. The story of a gay couple is something that the members of the LGBT community have been yearning for years, and it finally came, with a beautiful soundtrack and animation.

“We really wanted to bring a light to a subject that is rarely explored in computer animation,” David and Bravo told Teen Vogue. “We want people to be a little bit more understanding and aware of what the experience of being gay is like through an animated short that is sweet and light-hearted.”

Anyone who is in need of a happy cry over, some hope that things in life will get better, or just haven’t seen it yet, should definitely give “In A Heartbeat” a view. (It’s also really adorable, like, REALLY adorable.)