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Waste Away

In a trash-filled city, a homeless woman's encounter with a fish takes an unexpected turn.

  • Elly Stern
    Director
  • Elly Stern
    Animator
  • Daniel Hass
    Composer
  • Elly Stern
    Sound Designer
  • Kyle Jones
    Sound Mixer
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 49 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 13, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Elly Stern

Elly Stern is a mixed media animator who specializes in stop motion. She graduated with a BFA in animation from Massachusetts College of Art & Design. She spent her childhood in Tel Aviv, her adolescence in Toronto, and her college years in Boston, and she's currently relocating to Vancouver to work for Spotted Fawn Productions.

Utilizing surrealism and a handmade approach, Elly's animations often explore female issues and the internal body. She draws inspiration from her dreams and daydreams, and uses them to express the grittier, darker aspects of our existence and the humour that underlies this somber reality. Elly enjoy collecting trash for artistic purposes and finding beauty in the inconspicuous.

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Director Statement

Waste Away is a surreal stop motion short about a homeless woman who becomes pregnant with a fish. The responsibility of motherhood gives her the strength to fight for survival, while the forces of nature threaten to overtake her. The setting of urban neglect emphasizes the pervasive alienation between people, and humanity’s destructive impact on their environment. Relevant to today’s crisis, at a time when nature is undermining our position as its ruler, this animation tells a vivid story of disaster and rebirth. Waste Away is Elly Stern's MassArt BFA thesis film.