The roots of this surreal animation lie in summer 2009 when I found out that my sister was seriously ill. I observed my own way of dealing with the terror and horror of death. I was not only struggling with the fear of losing my sister but I was also scared of dying myself. This was the first time I came to realize my own mortality. This animation is an effort to understand my own behavior and human nature in general. It is also an attempt to let go.

In this animation I am observing self-destructive behavior, which appears when an individual is facing extreme states of mind. The main character portrays a human that

individual is facing extreme states of mind. The main character portrays a human that cannot see the world clearly from her own thoughts. She is blindly running from one situation to another and is incapable of understanding things that are affecting her. Even the character’s abstract body depicts the unclarity that is clouding her. The animation A Small Study of Woe reflects my own inner world and studies my personal coping strategies. Despite the hard subject, the tone is comforting and forgiving throughout the story. 

Animation & Illustration by Karoliina Paappa. Music by Mikko Keskiivari. 4:3, 3,22min, 2009.