“What We See” began with a post on Instagram by director and photographer Maik Schuster of the directorial collective I AM HERE, asking his followers to participate in a project. The resulting film is a collaboration by people from across the globe sharing their anxieties, hopes, and dreams through a series of intimate online interviews.
The film is a deep dive into private thoughts amplified by feelings of physical isolation and candid connections through disconnection. The submission of dozens of remotely directed videos of people breathing underneath plastic bags aided in the completion of this piece.
“Interestingly enough, I began shooting for this project exactly one year before nationwide lockdowns began in 2020, as isolation in our modern world is a concept I feel that society at large was already experiencing,” said Schuster. “But I never could have imagined the immense impact of a simultaneous global scale lockdown.”
I AM HERE is a directing collective represented globally by production house Iconoclast.
CreditsProduction I Am Here Maik Schuster director/photographer; Chris Baur, DP (U.S.); Leander Ott, DP (Germany); Ibra Wane, director assistant. Editorial Maik Schuster, editor. Color Mike Bothe, colorist. Sound Marlon Beatt VFX James Barry Title Design Maik Schuster. Music Julian Klincewicz, Song for the Sun, Song for the Moon. Cast Jazmin Sanz, Lorena Maza, Sarah Basset, Simon Te, Matheus Canto, Jean Benoit Proulx, Franck Trozzo Kazagui, Sarah Pauley, Tom Feustel, Marcello Fuente, Ibra Wane, Maik Schuster, Aki Matsushita, Alpha Estifanos-Abajifar, Alex Kiker, Marco Espirito Santo, Jacq Wilkinson, Lena Streckert. Thanks To: Timm Gillner, Masa Sun
Top Spot of the Week: EHRAC, Animation Studio NOMINT Depict Life “In Limbo” As Families Search For Loved Ones
This animated film titled In Limbo depicts the journey of a heroic woman protagonist representing the countless families in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe (where Chechnya is situated) searching for their forcibly disappeared loved ones. Utilizing theatrical elements, the film highlights the unnatural disruption caused by enforced disappearances and delves into the profound trauma these families endure. It emphasizes their long battles with the domestic authorities as they seek answers. The film also underscores the vital role of community support in helping these families cope and continue their fight for answers, serving as a compelling call to action for justice and human rights.
Through intimate storytelling, In Limbo raises awareness of the ongoing uncertainty that leaves families in a perpetual state of limbo, unable to find closure.
Directed by Afterman--the animation duo consisting of Tsvetelina Zdraveva and Jerred North--and created and produced by London-based animation studio NOMINT, In Limbo was commissioned by the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC).
In a joint statement, Zdraveva and North shared, “Our film takes place on a theater stage, highlighting how such tragedies are far removed from ordinary life,” they continued. “The stage is circular, resembling an artificial, perpetually spinning obstacle course, with a target—the red tail lights—just within sight yet never within reach, symbolizing the family’s never-ending quest for justice.”
“We used a limited primary color palette to contrast the two worlds all families are pulled between. Minimalist compositions of starkly silhouetted characters and environments create the ominous atmosphere of a deeply painful and... Read More