The director of the animation “The Cage” (original title: Qafas), Hamideh Motevalizadeh, discussed the symbolism, individual, and social themes of her work, as well as the unique capacities and challenges of using the stop-motion technique.
According to IBland’s news, Motevalizadeh, whose animation “The Cage” is competing in the Tehran International Short Film Festival, explained the film’s concept: “My animation is about a city where everyone wears a cage on their head. The cages symbolize the mental limitations that people have imposed upon themselves, which now restrict their movement. I tried to conclude the narrative with a sense of hope: the cages break, and the city’s people realize their own potential.”
The Cages We Build for Ourselves
She elaborated, “I have always been interested in psychology and analyzing human behavior on both individual and social levels. When I observed my surroundings; people’s actions, decisions, and emotions; I realized that they are often capable of positive action, but the restrictions they have created for themselves prevent it. We depicted these self-imposed limitations in this animation as cages.”
The director shared the production process for “The Cage,” stating: “The entire process, from writing the synopses to post-production, took over a year. I constantly rewrote the script and revised the synopses. I didn’t have external funding and used personal capital, which made the work more difficult, as the stop-motion crew had significant costs for me.”
Handmade Models Offer a More Authentic Feeling to the Audience (Stop-Motion Realism)
Regarding the animation technique, Motevalizadeh explained: “Stop-motion was the chosen technique because it is highly effective for creating the Gothic architectural atmosphere, employing realism, and presenting certain elements in an exaggerated way, just as seen in international works. I believe that when the models are handmade and filmed, the audience gets a more authentic feeling. Of course, this requires much more effort, as building the models and puppets, and frame-by-frame photography, even with limited equipment, is very time-consuming and expensive.”
In conclusion, addressing this year’s Tehran Short Film Festival, she remarked: “In Iran, there is still not as much attention given to animation as there is to live-action works; it has not yet fully gained traction. However, the reception has significantly increased compared to previous years, and with the potential existing in Iranian experimental animation, this situation can improve. I am currently working on my second project and hope to create an even better work with the experience I have gained.”
Source: Mehrnews