As Luna sees..., 5min, Australia
Directed by Zi Yin
Each individual will fills in their own way to fill the void created by death. I try to use the form of animation to tell the story of a girl saying her final goodbye to her kitten. With joy as a passing scene, smiling and waving goodbye.

https://www.instagram.com/elaine_yin_art

Get to know the filmmaker;

What motivated you to make this film?
I considered for a long time when I decided on this theme, and I also considered doing a more positive and lively subject, but some of my past experiences attracted my attention like a spot of light at night every time when I moved onto a different topic. This theme was also an outlet to liberate myself from the impact of the past, to express these feelings and realizations. In 2021, my grandfather went progressively paralysed by a cerebral infarction, and eventually became bed-ridden and died within a year. I took part in all the stages of his remaining life time,being at the hospital,at the funeral and in the crematorium to collect his ashes. During that time, I was filled with the strongest feelings and the most peaceful moods at the same time, and it made me feel as if I had passed through that time without caring about it. However, when I look back on it now, my heart is still filled with complex and unclear feelings. My family members who accompanied me also changed a lot during this period, and the routine at home was also different in one way or another. But we all stayed strong through that time and remembered the deceased in our own way. That's why I wanted to make an animation to show the meaning of death to different individuals: people use their own way to go through this time of grief. No matter what else people do to fill the gap, it is not as much consolation as what the individual finds on his own. What fills the gap is the individual's remembrance of the deceased, the memories that have been washed away by the time, and the growth of a finite life that has to be accepted in the river of time.

2.From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

Actually it is a school project, my master degree graduation project. The whole production time is only 3 months

3.How would you describe your film in two words!?

Dreamy/happy

4.What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Actually it is my first time making a 2D animation. I didn't have animation training/experience with completed animation project before this course. I learn the animation software 4 months ago just before this animation project. Although I've changed the story a lot from my original version, I couldn't make the graphics look great because of my limited animation skills. It's a shame that I like my story so much, but I couldn't express it better.

5.What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I'm glad there are a lot of people that can accept my narrative style! And I've seen people in tears because of my animation at some offline animation shows. I'm glad that my stories can touch some people. This makes me feel happy that my purpose of storytelling has been achieved.

6.When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I've always had a desire to tell stories, I guess. Because I'm very introverted, socializing isn't my strong suit, but I love taking notes and observing. I was originally an illustrator, and I had strong ideas about writing my own stories when I was an undergraduate, and then I expressed those ideas by making them into games and drawing them as illustrations.After being exposed to more things at school, I also started experimenting with more dynamic narrative expressions. This time it was with the intention of wanting to tell a story of my own that I came to this current major.

7.What film have you seen the most in your life?

Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit. :)

8.What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

Probably posting more artwork and updates on Instagram. Right now it feels like the instsgram account for this festival isn't very well developed.You can also add some live FESTIVAL photos.

9.You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

It's clean, it's fast. But because there are so many festivals, it takes careful discernment as to which of those are appropriate for my work and which I need to be apprehensive about.

10.What is your favorite meal?

Sushi, Hotpot...

11.What is next for you? A new film?

Yes. I want to create another story of mine using 2D animation. I think it's surprising that my current narrative has been accepted. There will be more creative work to be done after optimising my narrative.