Olivia & the Clouds

Filmstill Olivia & the Clouds

Olivia & the Clouds

Olivia & las nubes
Tomás Pichardo Espaillat
International Competition Animated Film 2024
Animated Film
Dominican Republic
2024
80 minutes
Spanish
Subtitles: 
English

The ghost of a former lover lives under Olivia’s bed. Barbara invents fantastic stories to cope with Mauricio’s rejection. Mauricio sinks into the ground with remorse. Ramón develops a deep affection for a talking houseplant that bears Olivia’s features.
This film approaches its thematic core in circles as we are invited to ponder the complexity of human relationships from different perspectives. The twists of glances and emotions of the characters entangled in this round dance are not only reflected in the episodic, cleverly intertwined dramaturgy, but also in the visual design. “Olivia & the Clouds” explores a rich garden of artistic techniques. Figures and places we first encounter as drawings go through transformations and reappear as cardboard collages, watercolours or oil paintings. A multilayered narrative of attraction and revulsion unfolds, revealing new facets of form and content with every change of style. Music light as clouds, brilliant sound design, vibrant colours and not least the occasional digressions towards experimental film enchant us and carry us deep into this surreal story that couldn’t be closer to life.

Franka Sachse

Credits DOK Leipzig Logo

Director
Tomás Pichardo Espaillat
Script
Tomás Pichardo Espaillat
Producer
Amelia del Mar Hernández, Fernando Santos Díaz
Sound
Homer Mora, Denis Godoy
Sound Design
Homer Mora, Denis Godoy
Score
Cem Misirlioglu
Animation
Tomás Pichardo Espaillat, Nika Zhukova, Vicky Medina, Freddy Guerrero, Martina Zena, Joery Santos Gomez, Randy Morales, Carmela Peña, Gia Zapata, Erik Alfredo Martínez, Samuel Zapata, Ottmar Suero
World Sales
Luce Grosjean