Private Project

Worm Exit Hole

An apple-girl lives on an apple tree, contemplating her destiny. When a worm invades her mind, she falls from the branch, plunging into a surreal journey through the labyrinths of her consciousness. A poetic exploration of identity, transformation, and self-discovery unfolds in this visually striking animated short film.

  • Polina Komyagina
    Director
  • Polina Komyagina
    Writer
  • Ivan Peric
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Experimental, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 7 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 30, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Croatia
  • Country of Filming:
    Croatia
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Art Academy of Split
  • Huddersfield Experimental Short Film Screening
    Huddersfield
    United Kingdom
    February 22, 2025
Director Biography - Polina Komyagina

Polina Komyagina (b. 1991, Smolensk, Russia) is a moving image artist based in Pula, Croatia. She explores animation, visual poetry, and video art. She studied experimental filmmaking at the St. Petersburg School of New Cinema and earned an MA in Film, Media Art, and Animation from the Art Academy of Split in 2024.

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Director Statement

Set in a surreal visual and sonic landscape, this short animated film explores themes of self-identification and inner transformation through the metaphor of a worm burrowing into the mind of a young apple-girl. As anxiety overwhelms her, she embarks on a symbolic journey shaped by visual motifs such as the Unalome path (a symbol of spiritual awakening) and the Capsula Mundi (an eco-burial concept imagining rebirth as a tree).

Through death and metamorphosis, the protagonist is reborn — not just as a tree, but as the sum of her lived experience, her doubts, and her growth. The film poses reflective questions: Does the life we lead shape what we become after transformation? Can we ever truly escape the thoughts that consume us?