Private Project

Aquarium

After a heated argument an introverted teenager locks himself in his room, overwhelmed by the urge to cry. No matter how hard he tries the tears won’t come. As his frustration grows the world around him becomes more surreal, forcing him to face emotions he’s been trying to avoid.

  • Ella Michaeli
    Director
  • Harel Ben Melech
    Producer
    "The Sun Rises Down Below"/ Dylan Joseph Shitrit. 2021. Diamond award for best Short - JFF & Oscar qualification.  "Night Visit"/ Mya Kaplan. 2021. Cinéfondation Selection, Cannes Films Festival. Official Selection - Palm Springs International ShortFest. Miami International Film Festival. Vimeo Staff pick.  "The Fisherman's Wife"/ Roy Kanevsky. 2022. İzmir International Short Film Festival.  "If You Only Knew"/ Einat Gaulan. 2019. Best short film, Lighthouse International Film Festival, 2021.
  • Yoav Mossek
    Key Cast
  • Lior Perla
    Original Music
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 35 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 16, 2025
  • Country of Origin:
    Israel
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    3:2
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Ella Michaeli

Ella is a director and screenwriter based in Tel Aviv, deeply immersed in the world of visual storytelling. Her work spans directing short films, commercials, and music videos for prominent artists, many of which have gained international festival recognition (e.g., Tokyo International Film Festival, Aesthetica Short Film Festival). She also directs and edits fashion films.

In addition to her directorial work, Ella is an editor and color grader with a diverse clientele, including renowned brands such as Samsung, Chanel, Sony Records, Armani, TwentyFourSeven, and more.

Her personal awards include:

Tom (2019, 12 min.) – Best Short Film at the Jerusalem Film Festival.
Best DJ Ever (I’M THE!!!) (2024, 3 min.) – Official Selection at Aesthetica Short Film Festival and Bend Film Festival; Winner at the Tokyo International Short Film Festival.

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Director Statement

For as long as I can remember I believed that crying would instantly solve all me problems. I’ve always admired people who can express their emotions so openly, shedding tears over the smallest issues while for me that mechanism simply didn’t work. Despite a challenging childhood that was mainly shaped by cutting ties with my family at the age of 17 I’ve never managed to cry. I feel the emotions are there but are deeply repressed by a blockage that prevents any show of vulnerability.

I believe many people can relate to this feeling. Not just the inability to cry, but the experience of something so powerful and overwhelming that remains lodged in your throat unable to release. This could be joy, sadness, anger, and of course tears.

This is the reason I’ve decided to exclude dialogue from this film and avoided showing any specific time period. I want the story to feel timeless as if it could’ve taken place anywhere and at any time, allowing each viewer to see themselves in it. I believe this concept could deeply move many people.