Roots
"Roots" is a stop-motion and 2D animated short film completed in 2024. It was made possible with Latino Film Institute and Latinx in Animation's Grant sponsored by Netflix.
Synopsis
Isabel is a young woman who lives alone with her cat and her hair-pulling disorder manifested in a pesky creature called “Hair-Hand.” She hides Hair-Hand and her bald spots from her one and only friend, afraid that she'd leave her forever if she knew.
Director's Statement
The film explores the condition “trichotillomania,” which is a body-focused repetitive behavior where a person has urges to pull out their own hair.As someone with trichotillomania, I’m making this film that 12 year-old me would’ve loved to see when I had just started to pull out my own hair and felt so alone and lost.“Roots” is animated in stop-motion and 2D to simulate the experience of having trichotillomania. The film is in stop-motion when our main character, Isabel, has urges to pull out her hair or craves for texture stimulation.
2D animation is used for when Isabel lives in the present moment without any urges.- Sandra Suarez, Writer-Director
Support the project!
Articles
Below are some published articles written about "Roots."
Animation Magazine
Tongal Blog
Latino Slant
The Team
Check out the amazing artists behind this project!
Sandra Suarez
Stop-motion animator and mixed-media artist living in Los Angeles, CA. I want to create stories that connect people by exploring the messiness in life and encouraging kindness to oneself and others.After studying stop-motion animation at Aardman Academy, I decided to combine stop-motion with 2D animation to share my personal story struggling with trichotillomania.
Kate Zarvis
I'm an art school dropout with a career in the film biz. Weird things I've been asked to do at work: arrange crime scene photos, fill a pool noodle with bacon, and grow fangs. I once ruined a take by knocking over an entire cart of wooden director’s chairs.I'm also an Aardman Academy trained fledgling stop motion animator, and my primary inspirations range from horror (comedy/splatter) to the Muppets.My favorite thing is incorporation of 4th wall breaks and behind the scenes storylines.I do so many things, I once thought about making business cards that just said "unclassifiable"
Kirsten Meinert
I'm based in Germany. I make different things in different materials, mostly illustrations and puppets. I'm drawn to the melancholy, the maccabre and the surreal and i try to create things that evoke both a sense of wonder and a longing for something unknown.I'm inspired by the past, myths and fairy tales and the personal feelings that each and every story holds, the intent of the author. I love images that don't retell the story but show what isn't told instead.
Maria Suarez
I’m Sandra’s sister. Located in California. Born Mexican.I didn’t study animation, but my love for animation has always been present. I studied architecture, which I strongly believe has helped me better understand how to build believable sets.Now I am focusing on my prop making skills, and I’m willing to improve further for the sake of making good quality projects.
Makena Sumi
I’m a digital artist who loves funky, dynamic shapes and nonsensical gags.My interests include video games as an interdisciplinary and uniquely interactive medium, the power of friendship, and stories that combine serious weight with goofy, absurd comedy.Based in Los Angeles, California.
Storyboard Artist
Erika Rohrberg
I’m a story artist who loves to make comics, funny jokes and video games.I’m born and raised in LA and now live in the Lake Arrowhead Mountains. I’m pursuing my bachelors in Game Art from Laguna College of Art and Design.I love Psychological Horror, old weird niche Anime, and to make stories with humorous observations on people’s personal lives that cut raw. There’s an ounce of truth in every joke, after all!You can watch the trailer for my animatic Ninja Vampire about two nerd girls that write a cringey self insert naruto ripoff fan fiction here.