Other Half
2021 · 13m · UK
Directed by Lina Kalcheva
Genres: adventure, animation, fantasy, romance
Tones: contemplative, mythic, surreal, whimsical
In a world where romantic partners physically merge into a single body, a solitary being named Ren embarks on an epic quest to find their other half — only to discover that true completeness must come from within, not from another person.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Plasticine stop-motion in a world where couples literally fuse — the body-horror logic of romance is a real idea, and Evanna Lynch voicing it doesn't hurt. Yes.
Plasticine stop-motion world where lovers literally fuse into shared bodies — Kalcheva at the National Film and Television School working in the In a Heartbeat tradition with Evanna Lynch on voice cast. Genuinely inventive.
Thirteen minutes of painstakingly handcrafted plasticine stop-motion in a world where couples literally fuse into one shared body, produced by the National Film and Television School with Evanna Lynch voicing — the premise visualizes social pressure to couple as a bodily reality, which is exactly the kind of literalization stop-motion does best.
Reviews
The world-building of Other Half impressed reviewers, as the character design of the merged couples and intricate environments immerse viewers in Kalcheva's universe... an impressive calling-card for its creators and continues the tradition of notable stop-motion shorts emerging from the UK's National Film and Television School.
Splendid Animated Short Film 'Other Half' About Relationships
Festivals
- Cannes Film Festival - Cinéfondation 2021
- Sitges - Catalonia International Film Festival 2021, Best Short Animation
- Cardiff Animation Film Festival 2022, Best Student Film
- Premiers Plans d'Angers 2022, Student Jury Prize
- Anima Córdoba 2022, Grand Jury Prize