This thesis traces the evolution of my first animated short film ‘Still Life’ from conception to production, developed as part of the Re:Anima – European Joint Master in Animation programme – at LUCA school of Arts, Aalto University and Lusófona University.
Home is where we spend half of our lives. It becomes an important space where the personal and political spheres intersect. My film explores the poetics of the everyday by trying to excavate mundane moments that often go unnoticed through a split screen narrative. By contrasting romanticized representation in ‘still lifeʼ paintings on one hand and ordinary reality in homes on the other, the film aims to bring forth unseen quotidian work and lives, which are often forgotten. Through this it explores the relationship between art and life, between fiction and documentary, raising questions of how ‘value’ is perceived in our society. Using 2D animation techniques, the film creates a visual vocabulary that focuses on tactile textures while playing with cinematic time.
Over the period of 2 years I was able to look at my project through different lenses: poetic, documentary, experimental, while applying qualitative research methods to develop a personal artistic process. By taking a poetic approach to documentary subject, the film taps into the possibilities offered by animation to go beyond merely recording, emphasizing the subjective approach, both in the filmmaking and the viewing process.
