Once in a Body

Filmstill Once in a Body

Once in a Body

Una vez en un cuerpo
María Cristina Pérez González
International Competition Animated Film
Animated Film
Colombia,
USA
2025
10 minutes
Spanish
Subtitles: 
English
German premiere

“There was a body that didn’t want to be human. It didn’t know it belonged to someone. To me.” María Cristina Pérez González opens her film with these poetic and cryptic words, diving deep into the visually powerful, hand-painted animation. Associative rather than narrative, the sad voice pulls us into a maelstrom of remembered fragments that all revolve around the protagonist’s body: A voluminous shape that sometimes eats itself with loathing, stretches until it fills the frame or cowers like a pea – in the blackness of the fluid, generous brushstrokes, but above all in its own fleshy self.
There is the estranged sister who once called the feet of this body ugly. The good friend who disappeared without a farewell. The father who once said that all unhappy women grow fat. And most of all there is this nameless figure that lives in her belly and feeds her depression with a cute grin. As so often in life, the only path to contentment is reconciliation. With the sister, of course, but above all with her own body which does not fit into narrow social norms – but is the only one she has. And with which she can dance, jump, and even laugh quite splendidly once she understands that it is not a monster to be fought.


Marie Ketzscher

Trailer DOK Leipzig Logo

Screenings & Tickets DOK Leipzig Logo

29.10.
#351
CineStar 7
Teil der Kompilation
During Checkout you can apply discounts, your accreditation or season passes
29.10.2025
CineStar 7
#351
Teil der Kompilation
During Checkout you can apply discounts, your accreditation or season passes
Calendar
30.10.
#442
CineStar 6
During Checkout you can apply discounts, your accreditation or season passes
30.10.2025
CineStar 6
#442
During Checkout you can apply discounts, your accreditation or season passes
Calendar
30.10.
#482
UT Connewitz
Teil der Kompilation
During Checkout you can apply discounts, your accreditation or season passes
30.10.2025
UT Connewitz
#482
Teil der Kompilation
During Checkout you can apply discounts, your accreditation or season passes
Calendar
02.11.
#7C3
Cinémathèque
Teil der Kompilation
During Checkout you can apply discounts, your accreditation or season passes
02.11.2025
Cinémathèque
#7C3
Teil der Kompilation
During Checkout you can apply discounts, your accreditation or season passes
Calendar

Credits DOK Leipzig Logo

Director
María Cristina Pérez González
Script
María Cristina Pérez González
Editor
Mauricio Cuervo Rincón
Producer
Mauricio Cuervo Rincón
Co-Producer
Mireia Vilanova, James Belfer, Adam Belfer
Score
Daniel Gwilym Jones Cozzarelli
Animation
Laura Alcina, Natalia Rojas Noy, Megumi Cardona, Gizenth Barreto, Fabián Llantén, Anamaría Sáenz Peñas, Julián Arias Garzón, Juan Pablo Figueroa, Daniel Bonza
Animation Technique
Painting

Contact DOK Leipzig Logo

Main Contact
Luce Grosjean
festival@miyu.fr
World Sales
Annabel Sebag
sales@miyu.fr
Nominated for: mephisto 97.6 Audience Award