Thousands of missing persons in Mexico leave a void in their families. The animation film “Ausente” follows one of the mothers who look for them.
SYNOPSIS
“Ausente” follows one of the thousands of mothers that look for their daughters in Mexico. She lives in a patriarchal society: She is supposed to stay at home and care for the family. She keeps the entire home like it was, when her daughter disappeared. However since the mass disappearences the role of the caring mother has expanded: Mothers have taken to the streets in protest. They organized themselves to search for hidden mass graves in the desert. “Ausente” tells the story of one of those mothers as she takes matters into her own hands.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
More than 40.000 people are currently missing in my home country Mexico. Approximately 20.000 unidentified human remains lie in Mexican pathologies. Every week the numbers increase. Everytime I come back home I hear new stories of people that are looking for somebody. Those missing persons are the desaparecidos, the disappeared.
They are kidnapped, murdered, sold. The lives of the disappeared are transformed into stories. However a lot of families fear for their safety if they talk about their cases. I want to transform one of those stories into the animation short “Ausente” (“Absent”).
They are kidnapped, murdered, sold. The lives of the disappeared are transformed into stories. However a lot of families fear for their safety if they talk about their cases. I want to transform one of those stories into the animation short “Ausente” (“Absent”).
ANIMATION
„Ausente“ is an entirely animated documentary that mainly uses analog and digital rotoscoping techniques. We will film in Mexico from january untill march and then animate in Germany. Every frame will be painted over by hand. This allows us to capture the expressiveness of our protagonists while at the same time being able to give them annonymity. Animation will serve as a protective element between protagonist and camera, a connecting element between the past and the present and a visualization of those, who are absent.
DATES
Animated documentary
Length: approx. 15 min.
Color: color, black and white
Technique: Digital and analog rotoscoping, 2D hand drawn animation
Length: approx. 15 min.
Color: color, black and white
Technique: Digital and analog rotoscoping, 2D hand drawn animation
Preliminary time table for 2020
Shooting: january – march
Editing: April – may
Animation: june – september
Post-production: october - november
Shooting: january – march
Editing: April – may
Animation: june – september
Post-production: october - november
TEAM
Written and directed by
Gisela Carbajal Rodríguez
Written and directed by
Gisela Carbajal Rodríguez
Co-directed and animated by
Felix Klee
Felix Klee
Cinematography by
Jorge Linares
Jorge Linares
Edited by
Sofía Gómez
Sofía Gómez
Produced by
Johanna Huber
in cooperation with
University of Television and Film Munich & Brujazul productions
Johanna Huber
in cooperation with
University of Television and Film Munich & Brujazul productions
DIRECTOR’S CV
Gisela Carbajal Rodríguez was born in Aguascalientes Mexico. She studied Audio Visual Arts at Universidad La Concordia Aguascalientes where she graduated with honors in 2009. Since 2012 she has been studying Directing for Documentary Film and Television journalism at University of Television and Film Munich. Her latest documentary “Oro Blanco” was nominated for the student academy award 2019. She currently works on her thesis project „Ausente“ and the hybrid short film „Bajo el árbol“.
DIRECTOR’S FILMOGRAPHY
ORO BLANCO
2018, Documentary, HD, Color, 23 min
Nominated for the student academy award 2019
Festivals (Selection): DOK Leipzig, International short film days Oberhausen, Guanajuato International Film Festival, International Short Film Festival Cyprus, DOQUMENTA Mexico, Global University Film Awards Hong Kong, Festival della Lessinia, Festival Internacional de Escuelas de Cine Uruguay
Screener: https://vimeo.com/293947242 (Password: Llama)
2018, Documentary, HD, Color, 23 min
Nominated for the student academy award 2019
Festivals (Selection): DOK Leipzig, International short film days Oberhausen, Guanajuato International Film Festival, International Short Film Festival Cyprus, DOQUMENTA Mexico, Global University Film Awards Hong Kong, Festival della Lessinia, Festival Internacional de Escuelas de Cine Uruguay
Screener: https://vimeo.com/293947242 (Password: Llama)
MOVE OUT TO NOWHERE
2016, Documentary, HD, Color, 13 min
2016, Documentary, HD, Color, 13 min
LA BESTIA
2014, Documentary, HD, Color, 30 min
Screenings (Selection): Ethnocineca International Documentary Film Festival Vienna, Al Jazeera Documentary Festival, East End Film Festival, Contra el Silencio Todas las Voces Mexico, Nir Altman Gallery Munich, Deggendorf
2014, Documentary, HD, Color, 30 min
Screenings (Selection): Ethnocineca International Documentary Film Festival Vienna, Al Jazeera Documentary Festival, East End Film Festival, Contra el Silencio Todas las Voces Mexico, Nir Altman Gallery Munich, Deggendorf
WHEN I TALK ABOUT SPEAKING
2013, Documentary, 16mm, B/W, 7 min
2013, Documentary, 16mm, B/W, 7 min
CONTACT
Gisela Carbajal Rodríguez
gisela.carbajal.rdz@hotmail.com
www.giselacarbajal.de
ausente.myportfolio.com
gisela.carbajal.rdz@hotmail.com
www.giselacarbajal.de
ausente.myportfolio.com