Roots

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

Follow the official Instagram page of "Roots" and share our posts with your friends and family.Learn about the incredible artists who worked on the project and follow their social media sites.

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Writer, Director, Co-Producer

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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.

Production Designer, Set Fabricator

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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"

Character Designer, Props Designer

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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.

Puppet Fabricator, 2D Clean Up Animator

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Ellen Yu

I'm an animator and fabricator residing in California.I'm an alum of CalArts Character Animation and Aardman Academy.I have a passion for hoarding crafting projects and worshiping the mystical animal called the guinea pig.

Prop Fabricator

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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.

Storyboard Artist, Stop-Motion Animator

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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.

Storyboard Artist

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Jenny Liebig

Hey I'm from Germany and I study animation and film production.My focus is on 2D animation and film music.Before studying animation I worked as a childcare worker so I'm very interested in psychology and emotional development of children and through this profession I learned a lot for my own stories and characters.I'm interested in films that don't just stay on the screen, but let me experience the stories with all my senses. That is what I also want to achieve in my own animations.

2D Animator

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Pattama Homrod

I'm a freelance 2D & Mixed-Media artist based in Thailand.I love to experiment with different mediums and I try to choose what fits best with each project.In my free time, I dabble a bit in sound design, and I like storytelling in music videos. I'm also highly interested in education and games!

Visual Development & 2D Clean Up Animator

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Melissa Navarro

I was born and raised in LA and currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation at Cal State Long Beach.My passions lie in telling dark, uneasy stories in worlds were fantasy and reality blur. There’s always been an inclination in me to push the limits of comfort in art and animation. I’m heavily influenced by old Disney, The Brothers Grimm and the questionable side of humanity.This industry has untapped potential waiting to be explored. My goal is to expand the world of animation and offer raw, unfiltered perspectives to our diverse audiences- with a touch of magic, of course.Feel free to reach out and say hello!