Watch: Strange Stop-Motion Short Film ‘Ashkasha’ About a Lost Head
by Alex Billington
March 25, 2024
Source: Vimeo
Curiosity might get the best of us sometimes. Will you find your way out if you become too lost in curiosity? This fantastic, funky stop-motion animated short called Ashkasha follows a “being guided by curiosity” who loses her head. It’s directed by an Argentinian stop-motion filmmaker named Lara Maltz who now works out of Barcelona. The film has been playing at festivals around the world throughout late 2022 and all of 2023 (including at Sitges and SXSW), finally ending up online for everyone to watch now. Ashkasha is a living being guided by curiosity. This causes her to lose her head and get trapped in the depths, where she is submerged on a discovery journey. The stop-motion creations in this are built from fabric, clay, beads, and other materials and they’re all incredibly imaginative. Yet another intriguing metaphorical tale about being too curious and making sure you don’t lose your sense of self along the way. It is entrancing to watch this person without their head encounter so many other unique creatures. Enjoy the 6 minute short in full below.
Thanks to Vimeo Staff Picks for the tip on this. Full intro from Vimeo: “Ashkasha is a living being guided by curiosity. This takes her to loose her head and get trapped in the depths, where is submerged on a discovery journey. On a mission to find her head, she faces challenging situations that hinder her way. A creature is presented with the key for her transformation.” Ashkasha is an animated short film written and directed by Argentinian artist / stop-motion filmmaker Lara Maltz based in Barcelona – you can see more of her work on her Vimeo page or visit her official website or follow her on IG @laramaltz.animation. It’s also produced by Lara Maltz, with cinematography by Gerardo Wielandt and Diego Aveiga, music by Lorenzo Perelmuter. The film initially premiered at the 2022 Sitges Film Festival in the Anima’t section, and played at tons of other festivals including SXSW, Festival de Malaga, and many others. Distributed by Marta Salvador Tato. For more info on the film, visit Vimeo or follow Lara’s IG. To watch more shorts, click here. Your thoughts?