Mariana Rekka
How much should we uncover about another person? Do we really need to know each other that well, or can curiosity sometimes be our worst enemy?
In today’s short, Curiosa by Tessa Moult-Milewska, we dive into the evolving relationship of Mary and James, two people who are just getting to know one another. Through mixed media animation the short blurs the line between reality and the inner mind, hoping to show how “discovering what’s inside another human’s mind could crack the idyllic image” we have of someone.
The story begins with a pixilation sequence – actors wearing oversized masks – showing the couple returning from a date to James’ apartment. Once at the door, Mary insists on entering to learn more about him. He reluctantly agrees, revealing a stark empty apartment inside. At first, Mary reacts with surprise, then anger, but her curiosity deepens when she notices a small door appear on James’ head.
Driven by intrigue, Mary opens the door and is unexpectedly pulled into James’ mind, where the film switches to a more traditional stop-motion approach, her character now a small puppet in a model version of James’ home. Here, she uncovers more than she bargained for, as she navigates his meticulously crafted mental landscape, revealing the complexities of his past – memories of her, a haunting failed relationship.
As the narrative switches from James’ apartment, to inside his head, the style switches from pixelation to stop-motion.
“The reason for using two distinctive styles throughout the film was always to highlight the differences between the two worlds the characters find themselves”, Moult-Milewska explains. Discussing her production, the director went on to add that another reason for the different animation styles was that “by the end of the film we wanted the two worlds to blend into one in order to distort the way the character sees her reality”.
It’s not just the main character’s perspective that takes a turn, with Moult-Milewska hoping for her “dark and quirky cautionary tale” to resonate with viewers, leaving them to ponder whether it’s “better to know or stay blissfully ignorant”. This dilemma certainly stuck with me, as Mary’s decision to delve deeper ultimately traps her in James’s world of oversharing – a poignant reminder that sometimes our curiosity can lead us astray.
After creating Curiosa as her graduation film from NFTS, Moult-Milewska hopes the short’s success will help her secure work in the industry and enable her to continue making films. With this goal in mind, she already has several new projects in development, including Rainbow in Hell, an animated feature film for family audiences; Bloodline, an animated documentary; and Pinecone and Scarecrow, a comic book.