Jan 10, 2024

Oscar Nominee Interview: Director Rita Basulto Talks Favorite Shot in "Humo" (Exclusive Interview)

The filmmakers of the 15 films nominated for this year's Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film were invited to share their favorite shots from their films and why. Each film is listed in the order the materials were received. Voting for the nominations will open tomorrow, January 11. [The film was screened in competition at Annecy and Raindance and won the Best Animated Short Award at the Holly Short.

Animated in stop-motion, Humo is the first-person story of a small boy living in a Nazi concentration camp. As a carefully detailed, rugged doll moves slowly through the camp, the protagonist describes his life with heartbreaking innocence and naivete.

Below, Basulto introduces his favorite scene in the short film and discusses its significance:

This scene condenses the essence of the protagonist Daniel and serves as a powerful visual metaphor in the short film. The scene vividly portrays his abiding innocence and empathy despite the relentless ordeal he faces. Crouched in a shadowy corner, he seeks solace with his only companion, the void.

In this poignant scene, as Daniel is approaching his final moments, his generosity to his mother, sharing what little sustenance he has gathered, transforms a couple of stale potatoes into a precious treasure, a symbol of love and survival. These seemingly insignificant potatoes are the only lifeline for Daniel and his mother, and hold the key to their survival for one more day in a closed world.

Beyond the narrative, the scene also functions as a stark allegory that highlights the unwavering resilience of children surviving in an unforgiving world. The scene symbolizes a society plagued by historical amnesia, repeating the same mistakes and setbacks.

Today, children like Daniel symbolize the constant cycle of wetting their faces with tears, suffering hunger and cold, and struggling with an uncertain future. They seek a place in a merciless world, unable to escape the tragic fate that stands in their way.

Read the other books in the series so far: