Synopsis

In the oldest city of the Middle East, a Kurdish student, a Muslim musician and a Christian little girl are part of a cultural mosaic. When vicious noises bring war upon their city, a mysterious sunfish appears to save them.

Duration: 14:45

Technique : Traditional & 2D animation , Watercolouring

Genre: Animation short film

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Directors statement 

Coming from a multicultural background Imge Özbilge has been interested in the clash of cultures.
The duality between tradition and modernity, the East and the West is a recurring topic in the artist and directors works. Mosaic is handling a fragile topic with the intention of breaking certain prejudgments created by the Media towards Middle Eastern cultures. The vocabulary used in the media and our daily news addressing people in need as ‘refugees’ or as a ‘problem’ is creating a distance from the humanitarian aspect. The Middle East is a culturally rich and very diverse geography where many cultures have lived together throughout centuries. Mosaic aims to remind its audience about this multiculturality by portraying divers yet ordinary people from daily life. One of the main challenges in creating the characters of Mosaic was to give them traditional Middle Eastern assets without orientalising them.
During the creation of the world of Mosaic the directors aimed to mirror the odd beauty that is coming out of the clash of traditions and post capitalism in our ‘modern’ world. Migration has always been a part of human history. It is the mix of cultures which has enriched our societies throughout time. At times like these it is crucial to remember that Humanity comes above all Nations.

Imge Özbilge’s Graduation film ‘Camouflage’ premiered in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. This selection opened up many new possibilities for the young director. In 2018, Imge started collaborating with her sister Sine Özbilge on Sine’s debut film ‘#21XOXO’, which premiered in 2019 at the BFI Film Festival in London. It won several awards and continues to be in the festival circuit. During the production of #21XOXO, Imge was simultaneously developing her next short film ‘Mosaic’ produced by Lunanime and co-directed by Sine Özbilge.

Biography

Next to directing animated short movies, Imge Özbilge is also experimenting with the medium of animation as an art form. She analyses the boarders between animated film and installation art, questioning its midpoints and distinctions . Imge’s work is based on research and starts with a conceptual question, followed by the exploration of new visual worlds. Between 2009 and 2012, the artist conducted a research on the visualization of middle eastern mythologies. During this process she developed a passion for miniature art. Between 2014 and 2016, she inquired about the contemporary use of this art-form and wrote her thesis ‘Contemporary Ottoman Miniatures’. The surreal elements of her work are based on myths inspired by miniature art and are also a reflections of her own reality.