Ashtar is a Syrian filmmaker, animator, and storyteller based in Barcelona, Spain. Her work weaves artistry and resilience, transforming deeply personal experiences into visual narratives that explore survival, identity, and the beauty of human connection.
After earning her degree in Visual Communications from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Damascus University in 2015, Ashtar’s graduation took place in her hospital room, only four days after she was severely injured in a missile attack. That life-altering moment became the foundation of her creative voice and the inspiration behind her debut animated short, Kano 4, a deeply personal film that recounts her story of survival, recovery, and the long journey of learning to walk again.
Ashtar began her animation career in 2012 as an intern at Dream Catcher Studio in Damascus, where she later joined the animation team and contributed to notable projects such as Danyah Cartoon for MBC3. Over the years, she has honed a distinctive artistic language that blends emotion, symbolism, and visual poetry to tell stories that heal and humanize.
In 2022, Ashtar moved to Barcelona to pursue higher studies in Motion Design at IDEP Barcelona, fulfilling her dream of graduating once again, this time on her feet. That same passion for transformation and storytelling continues to shape her creative journey.
Her second animated short, Tato 4.0, expands her storytelling into speculative and emotional terrain. Set in a quietly dystopian world, the film imagines an unexpected AI takeover led not by a machine, but by Tato 4.0, an artificial intelligence modeled after a grandmother whose tenderness, wisdom, and care begin to heal what war and borders once broke. The film will premiere in collaboration with OTV x Mozilla’s Brave Futures program this November (7–9), following its announcement on October 20.
Through her films and motion design practice, Ashtar uses storytelling as a tool for empathy and empowerment. Her work amplifies the voices of those often unheard, including refugees, queer individuals, and people with disabilities, using animation to bridge the gap between personal narrative and collective experience.
Ashtar’s artistic mission is to create visually striking, emotionally charged stories that challenge perceptions, inspire reflection, and celebrate resilience. Her journey, from surviving war to reclaiming her story through film, embodies the power of storytelling to transform pain into beauty and personal truth into universal connection.
