“The porous body”: a journey to self-discovery
A young woman who lives in her thoughts goes back to the sea to centre herself. As she dives into the water, she dives under her skin and penetrates her psychological wrapping. This stop motion film is directed by Sofia El Khyary.
When it comes to Sofia El Khyari, the filmmaker and artist grew up in Casablanca. She moved to Paris to study cultural management, and learned animation by herself.
She directed her first short film and then obtained a Master’s degree in animation at the Royal College of Art in London. Her films have been awarded and screened at various international festivals.
According to the artist, this stop motion film is a meditative experience of an encounter with one self. The author mentioned she found out that when we don´t live the present as we should we modify the perception of our own body.
She also stated that in the modern society we are living in, we are immersed in our own thoughts, and totally disconnected from our bodies and the world that surrounds us. The perception of our own bodies becomes blurry when we live in our thoughts like the water´s surface is turbulent when the wind is blowing.
Festivals:
– Animfest, Athens (Greece) >> 2nd prize, experimental film category
– Ajayu Animation Film festival (Peru) >> Special mention for best mixed techniques film
– Cinanima, Espinho (Portugal)
– Zlin Festival (Czek Republic)
– Animateka, Ljubljana (Slovenia)
– China International Independent Forum (China)
– Medusa Underground Film Festival, Las Vegas (USA)
– London Experimental film festival (UK)
– Tetouan Student Film Festival (Morocco)
– Festival international du court métrage d’animation de Meknès (Morocco)
– BoVi Film Festival, Boise, Idaho (USA)
– Imaginaria Film Festival, Conversano (Italy)
– Go Girls (Italy)
– Festival du Film d’Animation de Paris (France)
– Les Femmes Underground Film Festival, Los Angeles (USA)
– Festival du Film Court en Armagnac, Condom (France)
– Un festival c’est trop court, Nice (France)
– ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival, Berlin (Germany)
– Mumia Underground World Animation Festival – Belo Horizonte (Brazil)
– Online African Film Festival (online)
– Festival international d’animation de Palm Springs (USA)
– Flip Book Film Festival (Macedonia)
– Feminist Border Arts Film Festival (USA)
– Animatricks Animation Film Festival (Finland)
– AnimaFest Gandsk (Poland)
– Animarte (Brazil)