Female Figures 2020
Glad to be at London International Animation Festival this year with the 4th edition of Female Figures. On 27 November you’ll be able to watch the programme online. It was scheduled to show at the Barbican, but the lockdown has sadly curtailed that live event.
This programme is one that considers coming of age stories, memories and experiences. In these animations, reflections on childish fantasies and problematic relationships with friends and family are revisited; where young people on the threshold of adulthood grow aware of its challenges and temptations. We witness young people navigating societal norms and gender stereotypes with a growing self-awareness and a desire to resist tradition. Mothers reflect on their own experiences through witnessing their daughters lives and daughters interrogate their mothers to examine their own drives and choices.
In some works fairytale and fantasy are employed to evoke psychological states and the transformational stages of maturing. Some weave biographical elements into their narratives and some employ humour to the presentation of difficult scenarios, whilst all share a refreshing perspective on growing up. The works present a mix of techniques, including paint on glass, stop motion, paper collage and scratch film.
After the screening there will be a discussion with speakers including British-Iranian animator Maryam Mohajer, academic Dr Caroline Ruddell from Brunel University London, artist animator Linnéa Haviland, and Camilla Makmudi who collaborated with Linnéa on A Different Category.
Female Figures was devised by me in 2017, born from a desire to present an alternate view of women’s bodies and women’s stories to counter the misogynistic representations that persist in animation today. In recognition of the under-representation of female animators within the independent animation sector, the programme spotlights some of the incredible work crafted by contemporary animators, both in the UK and internationally.
Programme:
Tad’s Nest, Petra Freeman, UK, 2009, 5min
Tad’s Nest – a place where eels mature before being compelled to return to a location using only memories of sensations to guide them. The film examines the way memories are held as sensations and the ability of memory to invent people and places to perform the sensations. Compulsion to return, replay, and revisit. Watch the film here.
Grandad Was a Romantic, Maryam Mohajer, UK, 2019, 5 min
My grandad was a romantic. He once saw a picture of my granny and realised that she was the love of his life. One day he decided to go meet her.
Yellow Fever, Ng’endo Mukii, UK, 2012, 7 min
An exploration of ‘feeling a little bit uncomfortable’. Ng’endo is interested in the concepts of skin and race, and what they imply; in the ideas and theories sown into our flesh that change with the arc of time. In the film Ng’endo focuses on African women’s self-image, through memories and interviews; using mixed media to describe an almost schizophrenic pursuit of globalised beauty.
Bloeistraat 11, Nienke Deutz, Belgium/The Netherlands, 2018, 10 min
Inseparable best friends spend their last summer holiday of childhood amusing themselves around the house. As summer progresses their bodies start to morph and shift and an awkwardness descends on their friendship. Puberty seems determined to interrupt their bond. Thanks to Miyu Distribution. Watch the trailer here.
Open Recess, Amy J Xu, US, 2017, 3 min
An animated documentary about a nostalgic story of the childhood romance of two girls.
A Different Category, Linnéa Haviland, UK, 2018, 5 min
Three young women reflect on adolescence as a period marked by loss of ‘voice’ and the struggle between competing desires for autonomy and connection.
Récit de Soi, Géraldine Charpentier, Belgium, 2018, 5 min
While non-binary representations are rare, Lou talks about their relationship to gender, clothes, and other markers.
The Butterfly Affect, Stephanie Blakey, Canada, 2019, 4 min
Growing up, Jesse didn’t think she was any different from her friends – until the Change. Created by a group of women as part of a Women in Animation initiative, this is a heartfelt story of insecurity, growth, and self-acceptance told through the eyes of a young worm trying to find her place in a butterfly’s world.
Jessica, Amy Lockhart, US, 2014, 5 min
Jessica is stuck in the house with the baby. A mundane domestic tale, full of the awkward and surreal. A paper puppet and cut out animated parody of a tv sitcom pilot. Watch the film here.
Snow White Cologne, Amanda Eliasson, UK, 2017, 6 min
Snow White Cologne is based on a true story about Amanda’s sister who, as a teenager, had a drug abuse problem. Amanda wanted to tell her story in a non-judgemental way, which is why the film tackles the difficult subject of drug addiction in a poetic and emotional manner rather than giving the viewer straight facts about the problems that come with the disease.
Ties, Dina Velikovskaya, Russia/Germany, 2019, 8 min
Ties is a stop-motion animated film about growing up. There is a strong connection between parents and their child. The main character of the film is a young woman, who wants to see the world. However, her parents’ world is so strongly linked with hers, that by leaving she puts it in serious danger. It turns out that this connection can also be destructive.
Umbilical, Danski Tang, US, 2019, 7 min
An animated documentary exploring how Danski’s mother’s abusive relationship with her father shaped her own experiences in a boarding school as a child in China. Through a conversation as adults, Danski and her mother learn to understand each other and support one another.
Lost Islands of Philadelphia, Jennifer Levonian, US, 2018, 10 min
The film features the artist and her daughter engaged in a scripted daily routine that is interrupted by the daughter’s quest, inspired by a library book, to find Smith and Windmill Islands, two recreational islands that were removed from the Delaware river in 1894 to make way for shipping.
Image: Snow White Cologne, Amanda Eliasson