Filmmaker Statement

CYCLES was created using a combination of painting and digital animation processes. Within it, the central figure of the work is abstracted as a means of exploring social alienation, isolation, and the perception of the self in relation to others. It illustrates the experience of feeling othered and how that feeling affects perception and daily functioning. Breaking down these experiences into smaller sequential narrative parts enables a wider audience to understand how it feels to struggle with mental health and feel judged and ostracized. Seeking to create an empathetic response in viewers for individuals that exist outside of the expectations of culture and society, CYCLES utilizes simplification of form and concept to facilitate compassionate immersion.