MIRA
Ready to quit her dreams of becoming a celebrated accordionist after busking day after day for an isolating swamp metropolis that isn’t listening, young Mira finally gets a taste of recognition one evening when she meets Lore; a charismatic and successful performer who takes an interest in Mira’s talents.
Giving into her charm and status, Mira finds herself playing hostess to the mysterious and talented singer as Lore’s self-serving behaviors make her increasingly more uncomfortable in her own home. Mira’s desire for recognition from this elevated musician leaves her blinded to Lore’s hidden intentions until her apartment begins changing around her and her anxieties start to spiral out of her control. Her inability to confront and remove the ever-dangerous Lore proves to have monstrous consequences once Lore shows her true sinister nature; that she is not the musical ally that she initially presents to Mira but a water demon who needs to scavenge and carve out a place for herself by taking advantage of others.
After Mira tries to escape, Lore cruelly adheres her to her beloved accordion, encasing her arms to the instrument’s keys and sewing her lungs into to the accordion bellows. She must keep playing the instrument in order to breathe. Mira, entrapped by this demonic entity, is left with her home and sense of self forever changed.
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Eva Louise HallDirectorThe Weathering (2019)
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Eva Louise HallWriter
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Vanessa SeveroKey Cast"Mira"
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Jessica PaigeKey Cast"Lore"
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Ava ArmstrongKey Cast"Young Mira"
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Calvin ArseniaMusical Direction and Sound
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Erica Marie ManciniComposer (Mira's Theme)
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Eva Louise HallAnimator
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J Ashley MillerAudio Mastering
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Mira TaliaferroAnimation Assistant
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Christine DongLettering and Design
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Theodore BunchFabrication Assistant
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Christine DongFabrication Assistant
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Project Type:Animation, Short
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Genres:Surrealist Horror, horror, short narrative, animated short, stop motion, animation, psychological horror
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Runtime:11 minutes 30 seconds
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Completion Date:May 31, 2023
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Vancouver International Film FestivalVancouver BC
Canada
October 5, 2023
World Premiere / Canadian Premiere
Official Selection -
SCAD Savannah Film FestivalSavannah, Georgia
United States
October 21, 2023
Georgia Premiere
Official Selection -
ANIMAGERecife
Brazil
October 8, 2023
Brazilian Premiere
Official Selection -
Santa Fe International Film FestivalSanta Fe, NM
United States
October 22, 2023
New Mexico Premiere
Official Selection
Eva Louise Hall is an animator, filmmaker, fabricator and performer in the Kansas City, MO working in both commercial and fine art contexts. Her projects as a visual storyteller create unique experiences that engage audiences, inspire participation and build community. As an interdisciplinary artist, her work involves everything from giant puppetry, multi-media performance, animated and live action film production and arts education. In addition to the creation of her independent films she teaches as an Assistant Professor of Animation at the Kansas City Art Institute.
Mira is Eva Louise Hall’s most recent stop motion story within more than a decade-long career working with puppets and animation. Other notable projects include The Weathering (2019) and Nautical Apsara (2013).
Mira is a film about abusive creative relationships – how artistic aspirations and kindness can be weaponized through the sinister motivations of those in positions of power.
This story touches on themes of celebrity, abusive individuals and relationships, self-sacrifice and the loss of power and control. I am making this film out of a love I have for accordions, sea monsters, animation and surrealist horror film. In bringing this story to life I also wanted to express my personal experience in dealing with how horrific it feels when someone, through their abuse of others, can turn something you love more than anything into a living nightmare.
I made the majority of this film between January of 2020 and the Spring of 2023. It is a film that, like my character Mira, has endured unexpected hardship and tremendous obstacles in the pursuit of creative accomplishment. The overwhelming support I received in developing and in the completion of this film, however, has ensured a much happier ending for its production.
Through the contemplation of the dark and horrific it is my hope that we may expand our understanding and capacity for cultivating beauty and kindness.