ANIMADOC: Memories was a four-month course in animated documentary, bringing together 10 teenagers and young adults to work at the intersection of documentary filmmaking and animation.
Animated documentary is one of the most compelling forms of contemporary cinema, combining the authenticity of documentary storytelling with the expressive freedom of animation. Throughout the course, participants explored how animation can be used to tell real, personal stories — especially those that are difficult or impossible to capture with a camera alone.
The course focused on developing a short animated documentary film from idea to final cut. Participants learned how to transform personal experiences, memories, and observations into cinematic narratives, working with interviews, sound recordings, archives, and diary materials.
Over the course of the program, participants:
As a result of the course, the participants created seven short animated documentary films, some of which are currently being submitted to film festivals.
The final films explore personal experience through a wide range of forms — from experimental works where poetry, sound, and found footage to audio-diary–based films addressing growing up, responsibility, war, and forced migration
Champagne for Us
Alina, 17
An intimate reflection on friendship and its quiet transformations under the pressure of time, distance, war, and forced change.
Do You Hear?
Petr, 18
An experimental film where poetry, sound, and found footage from beloved anime intertwine into a meditation on existential experience.
15.05
Masha, 19
An experimental animated film about a young woman who records audio diaries while trying to survive exams and the responsibility for her younger sister, threatened with expulsion from school amid war and forced migration to the UK.
My Father and the North
Arina, 17
Based on her father’s memories, the film challenges the romantic myth of the North, recounting an expedition carried out in extreme conditions that put human lives at risk.
Murka
Arina, 14
A tender personal story about an unexpected encounter that turns into companionship — how finding a cat on the street becomes the beginning of a bond.
The Candle
Irina, 16
A dream-based animation in which angels confront and overcome the ghosts of the night, blurring the line between fear, faith, and imagination.
The Choice to Trust
Anastasiia, 18
A documentary animation exploring fragile boundaries between trust and betrayal through personal stories and shared experience.
*Many of these films have been submitted to festivals, so we are currently unable to make them publicly available, which is why they are not on the website. Once their festival run is over, we will publish them here. Stay tuned for updates!
