The award-winning filmmaker and activist’s hand-drawn, black and white animated film tells the story of a happy little girl determined to overcome the darkness and oppression consuming her.
The Cat, a 12-minute hand-drawn animated short film by Mary Apick, has been released on YouTube and Vimeo. Apick (Beneath the Veil), an award-winning filmmaker, actor, and activist, has been an icon in the Iranian expat community for the last three decades. The film, according to the filmmaker, “is a parable about life – especially for women – in Iran since the Revolution. And what we hope the future will bring.” Her latest short employs black and white 2D animation to speak of the plight of women in oppressive cultures around the world.
Apick’s film tells the story of a happy little girl selling flowers on the street... until the idyllic world she knows is enveloped by an oozing, malevolent darkness that destroys everything in its path. She is forced to run for her life as the darkness consumes anything that it can’t control – art, education, religion, society, and even the people themselves. The darkness and oppression are so relentless that the exhausted girl gives up. But she can’t go through with it. She must continue fighting... whatever the cost. Her strength and determination bring light back to her life and repel the darkness. She is free once again. And the world is beautiful once again.
Enjoy The Cat:
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
