In support of the UN’s global ’16 Days of Activism’ campaign calling for an end to violence against women, Natalia León’s animated short, about a woman who returns to Mexico but cannot reconcile her rekindled memories of violence, is now streaming.
Natalia León’s Sundance-winning animated short film, () is now available to stream, released in support of the UN’s global “16 Days of Activism” campaign – running November 25 to December 10 - that calls attention to the urgent need to end violence against women and girls.You can watch it below.
The film, winner of the Sundance Jury Award, explores the lingering trauma caused by feminicide in Mexico.Using autofiction, the film reflects on how violence infiltrates daily life, memory, and even the spaces we consider home.León describes the project as born from a personal need to articulate a fear that had become omnipresent, a fear she refuses to normalize.
“I wanted to make this film as a way to refuse that fear,” she explains.“I didn’t want to accept the idea that violence against women is something we get used to.Even in Toulouse (France), when I walk and see a trash bag, I think of these stories.
I hope the audience will remember all the women to whom these things happened.” The film's employs delicate 2D animation shifting between color and black-and-white, using metaphor to convey the violence without showing it explicitly.Though produced in France, is a Mexican story deeply anchored in the country’s cultural roots.León created the visual identity herself, built the environments from real locations, recorded atmospheric sounds in northern Mexico, and insisted on working with Mexican voices.
This authenticity resonates strongly with audiences across countries.Distributor Miyu Distribution notes, “Sharing the film during the 16 Days of Activism is a way to join a global moment of visibility and reflection, not by repeating statistics, but by offering a story that speaks directly to the emotional and psychological impact of feminicide on the women who survive, on those who remember, and on those who refuse to remain silent.”
Here's where you can watch the film:
In France and Germany: ARTE
In Spain: Moviestar+
The Americas – on YouTube, which you can watch below:
Everywhere else: Vimeo VOD
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
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