https://www.artwithimpact.org/film/i-am-here/
“I Am Here” By Sorrel Milne is a short animated film about PTSD. The background track is a narration of people that suffer from PTSD. The animation is really beautiful. I love the simple color palette and the texture of the lines. I think that the film could be a bit stronger with some added context. I really enjoy the part in the film where the music and the voices calm down just as the narrator is stating that they are grounding themselves. I think the audio mixing is super effective at creating this sense of panic.
https://www.artwithimpact.org/film/on-the-surface/
“On the Surface” By Fan Sissoko is a beautifully drawn animation about a woman’s struggle through childbirth and early motherhood. I really enjoyed how the pacing of the animation and how there weren’t many different jump cuts, just more symbolic animations. It felt very cohesive and intimate. The narration is a letter to her child which adds to the intimacy of the piece. I found myself tearing up for this woman, having no one to support her through such a turbulent birth where none of the doctors believed her pain. It’s super frustrating the amount of dismissing that happens in the women’s health field.
https://www.artwithimpact.org/film/f-i-n-e/
“Fine” by Saida Saetgareeva is a short animated film about the feeling of depression and anxiety. I think that it’s really cleaver the way the artist portrayed the encapsulation of how they feel day to day over one text that was sent to them. It’s definitely relatable and I find myself doing something similar often. Again, I think the sound editing is super successful at creating an overwhelming mood and building anxiety.
https://www.artwithimpact.org/film/off-suit/
“Off Suit” by Lou de Estores and Derreck Roemer is a short film made with both live action elements as well as basic puppet animation. The film recounts the story of a prisoner back when jails would color code those they deemed mentally unwell in brown suits. The prisoner, Rod Radford recounts that the brown coats would often get bullied by the general population. The short story is really interestingly done with puppets in a very elementary style. I think the simplistic style allows the viewer to focus on Rod’s story.
