Mama Micra

In this powerful and carefully considered stop-motion film, animation director Rebecca Blöcher tells the story of her mother’s quest for freedom and experience at a time when women were not supposed to want such things. Blöcher renders her mother’s journey using felt to construct the animated world in which it takes place, the medium’s softness providing a harsh contrast to the often brutal experiences the film depicts. After divorcing her husband, she leaves to explore the globe—spending time in Syria and Beirut—but ends up living in her car, a Nissan Micra. Alone, estranged from her family, and increasingly disconnected from reality, she never finds a place to call home. Mama Micra is a moving testament to the ties that bind us, even if they conflict with our desire for freedom and yearning for transcendence.