Bythos

Bythos, the god of the sea depths.
Bythos, the dark abyss.
The wind blows softly on the seashore. A clumsy crow perches on a beach cabin, while a cautious hermit crab scampers on the sand. Near them an old couple enjoys the afternoon sun. The quiet
peace is interrupted only by two kids playing with a ball. The sudden fall of the ball into the sea transforms the atmosphere of bucolic harmony in a palingenetic experience, dreamlike by the look, but with the real consistency of a deep truth.

  • Denis Ripamonti
    Director
  • Maria Noemi Grandi
    Director
  • Maria Matilde Fondi
    Writing
  • Maria Noemi Grandi
    Writing
  • Denis Ripamonti
    Writing
  • Francesco Tomba
    Writing
  • Claudia Vanacore
    Writing
  • Maria Matilde Fondi
    Character design and Illustrations
  • Maria Noemi Grandi
    Stop motion animation
  • Claudia Vanacore
    Stop motion animation assistant
  • Denis Ripamonti
    Cinematography, Compositing and Digital animation
  • Carlotta Perfetto
    Video editing
  • Denis Ripamonti
    Sound design
  • Alessandro Serra
    Sound mixing
  • Marta Zibani
    Music
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Bythos
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 28, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Country of Filming:
    Italy
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    3:2
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • 22° CortoLovere
    Lovere (BG)
    Italy
    September 27, 2019
    Official selection
  • 1° Visioni Fantastiche
    Ravenna
    Italy
    October 21, 2019
    Official selection - Visionari 6+
  • 43° CINANIMA – Festival Internacional de Cinema de Animação de Espinho
    Espinho (Porto)
    Portugal
    November 16, 2019
    Official selection - Grand Panorama
  • 5° Animation Marathon
    Αthens
    Greece
    November 22, 2019
    Official selection
  • 37° International Young Audience Film Festival Ale Kino!
    Poznań
    Poland
    December 4, 2019
    Official selection
  • 4° IndieJúnior Allianz - International Children's and Youth Film Festival
    Porto
    Portugal
    February 1, 2020
    Official selection
  • 31° Belfast Cinemagic Film Festival
    Belfast, Northern Ireland
    United Kingdom
    Official selection - On the Pulse
  • 26° Visioni Italiane
    Bologna
    Italy
    Official selection - Visioni Acquatiche
  • 18° Imaginaria Film Festival
    Conversano
    Italy
    August 21, 2020
    Children's film competition
  • 8° DYTIATKO International Children’s Media Festival
    Kharkiv
    Ukraine
    September 2, 2020
    Official selection
Director Biography - Denis Ripamonti, Maria Noemi Grandi

After studying philosophy between Milan and Paris, Denis Ripamonti continued his academic training graduating in cinema at the IULM University, Milan. At the same time, he started working as a freelance screenwriter, filmmaker and video editor with the Natia Docufilm, for which he is now writing a tv series.
Graduated in communication at the University of Pavia and in cinema at IULM University in Milan, Maria Noemi Grandi has been working as a journalist for Radio Vaticana and Mediaset, before discovering filmmaking was her destiny. She’s now working as an assistant producer for the Blue Joint Film.
Bythos is their first short film as directors.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

In the Ancient Greece Bythos was the God of the sea depths. Our purpose was to create a coming-of-age parable on the effort and the need to overcome our mental boundaries by looking into the depths of our mind fighting prejudices and fears.
The short film has been produced during a graduate program in stop motion animation, held by the IULM University in Milan. It has been made with a mixed technique. The paper cut-out stop motion animation marries the digital post-production in order to create a consistent world which still retains the tangible materiality of the original objects, from the subtle shades of the watercolor to the graininess of the jute for the sand or the peculiar texture of the fabric for the sea.
MARIA NOEMI GRANDI
DENIS RIPAMONTI