Today’s profile is Slovenian stop-motion animator Špela Čadež whose visually distinct works deal with tricky themes like addiction and domestic violence with compassion, humor, and no judgement.
Other key works: Zasukanec (2004), Lovesick (2007), Orange is the New Black – Unraveled (2017).
Influences: Raimund Krumme, Koji Yamamura, Michaela Pavlatova, Igor Kovalyov
In this series, we profile the most interesting independent animation filmmakers working today — the artists who, through short films and other projects, change our ideas of what the medium can do.
Currently working on: Čadež’s latest short, Steakhouse, debuted in late 2021. It has won numerous awards including the grand prix at the Brussels Animation Festival, jury award at Bucheon Animation Festival, and best animation technique at Ottawa. It was nominated for best short subject at the Annie Awards.
Says: “I usually take something in my life that bugs me, and try to digest it through my work. Something that’s close to me, that’s inside of me – I find that this makes for the most honest films.”
What to watch next: Boles (2012). The film that landed Čadež on the international animation map. A beautifully constructed story about the relationship between Filip, a struggling, ambitious writer and his neighbour, Tereza, a prostitute. Also: Read Cartoon Brew’s interview with Čadež about the film.
