Human Layers

The movie is about how humans act differently in different contexts. Representing the routine life of a couple at work, together and alone where they can truly express themselves and not be prevented and confined by people, social norms and the society.

  • Fatemeh Zare
    Director
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 52 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 29, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    Netherlands
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Avans
  • Happy Valley Animation Festival

    United States
    March 27, 2025
    Official Selection | Happy Valley Animation Festival
  • Lift-Off Sessions | "Audience Award"

    United Kingdom
    December 1, 2024
    Award Winner | Audience Award
  • Absurd Film Festival

    Italy
    March 1, 2025
    Honorable Mention
  • Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de Paracho
    Michoacán de Ocampo
    Mexico
    July 25, 2025
    Official Selection
  • malabo international music & film festival
    Malabo
    Guinea
    October 3, 2025
    Official Selection
  • Pulse of Animation Festival
    Bulgaria
    Bulgaria
    July 14, 2025
    Award Winner | Audience Choice Award
  • CIP Milan Shorts
    Milan
    Italy
    September 5, 2025
    Finalist
  • Festival l'Art en chemin 2025
    Oise
    France
    September 14, 2025
    Official Selection
  • Monza Film Fest
    Monza
    Italy
    August 31, 2025
    Honorable Mention
  • Boundless Film Festival
    London
    September 15, 2025
    Official Selection
  • CARIBETOONS Festival Internacional de animación CARIBETOONS Festival Internacional de animación
    Santa Marta
    Colombia
    August 14, 2025
    Official Selection
  • Amsterdam New Cinema Film Festival
    Amsterdam
    Netherlands
    November 30, 2025
    Honorable Mention | Best First Time Director Short Film
  • Salsa Film Festival
    Weimar
    Germany
    November 12, 2025
    Official Selection
  • International Kolkata Short Film Festival
    Kolkata
    India
    January 20, 2026
    Official Selection
  • Animation Screenings Film Festival Striped Tale
    Tbilisi
    Georgia
    October 2, 2025
    Award Winner | Best Comedy Animation
  • Couch Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    September 30, 2025
    Nominee
  • Alibag Short Film Festival
    Alibag
    India
    October 5, 2025
    Official Selection
  • Thilsri International Film Festival
    Tamil nadu
    India
    October 11, 2025
    Award Winner
  • Shortcutz Lima
    Lima
    Peru
    November 19, 2025
    Official Selection
  • Mostra de Cinema das Missões
    Porto Alegre
    Brazil
    November 20, 2025
    Semi-Finalist
  • Twente Short
    Oldenzaal
    Netherlands
    November 15, 2025
    Nominated
  • Kodaikanal International Film Festival
    Kodaikanal
    India
    October 19, 2025
    Official Selection
  • CinemaKing International Film Festival (CIFF)
    Dhaka
    Bangladesh
    December 19, 2025
    Award Winner
  • Afromeric Award of Excellence and Film Festival
    Maryland
    United States
    November 14, 2025
    Nominee
  • West Bengal Short Film Festival
    Kolkata
    India
    November 29, 2025
    Official Selection
  • Festival CinemaZERO
    Trento
    Italy
    November 30, 2025
    Official Selection
  • World Indie Film Awards

    January 12, 2026
    Quarter-Finalist
  • Short Shot Fest
    Moscow
    Russian Federation
    March 28, 2026
    Official Selection
  • MIXED
    Portland
    United States
    February 4, 2026
    Quarter-Finalist
  • Independent Days International Film festival
    Karlsruhe
    Germany
    April 15, 2026
    Official Selection | Best Newbie Award (first time movie)
  • Giggleshitz Camp Comedy Film Fest
    Los Angeles
    United States
    March 21, 2026
    Official Selection | Narrative Comedy Shorts
  • Kerala Short Film Festival
    Kerala
    India
    March 29, 2026
    Official Selection | Best First Time Director
  • PVTV Fringe Flicks
    Liverpool
    United Kingdom
    May 15, 2026
    Official Selection
  • Playgrounds International Film Festival
    Eindhoven
    Netherlands
    April 16, 2026
    Official Selection | Saucy
  • International Shorts Film Festival (Washington DC, USA)
    Washington DC
    United States
    May 16, 2026
    International Shorts Submissions
  • FICIMAD (Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de Madrid)
    Madrid
    Spain
    June 19, 2026
    Official Selection
  • AXD Film Festival
    Alexandroupolis
    Greece
    June 11, 2026
    Official Selection
  • Anifilm
    Prague
    Czechia
    May 11, 2025
    Official Selection
  • Pune Short Film Festival
    Pune
    India
    June 7, 2026
    Official Selection
  • International Istanbul Short Film & The Writer's Journey Festival
    Istanbul
    Türkiye
    September 5, 2026
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Fatemeh Zare

I started my artistic journey as an illustrator, constantly sketching the wild ideas that filled my mind. But I soon realized that some stories couldn't be confined to a single frame, they needed motion, energy, and life. That realization led me to animation, where my imagination could finally break free and take shape in ways I never thought possible.

To bring my visions to life, I pursued a Master of Animation at Avans University in the Netherlands, where I’ve been exploring how to transform my imagination into motion. My current film is my graduation project, but more than that, it’s a deeply personal journey.

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Director Statement

In this film, I explore how humans act differently in various contexts—how our behavior shifts depending on the environment, whether at work, with loved ones, or in solitude. The story follows a couple navigating their routine lives, both together and apart, revealing the raw and often unspoken moments when they can truly express themselves, free from societal norms or expectations.

To reflect the absurdity and fragility of life, I chose simple outline shapes with a limited color palette. This minimalistic approach emphasizes the vulnerability of human existence and the complexities of human relationships. Through these visuals, I delve into the balance between how much a couple should share with each other and how much they should hide. What do they reveal when they’re alone? How do they behave differently when together? And what are the guilty pleasures they secretly share?

This film is a reflection on the quiet moments that define us, and how, even in the most ordinary of routines, we are constantly negotiating who we are and how we present ourselves to the world.