Excited and anxious — that’s how director Triparna Maiti has been feeling since learning that her animated short, The Chair, will première at the ongoing 32nd Palm Springs International ShortFest in the US. Through the film — backed by Rita Meher — Maiti explores themes of power, belonging, and identity while rooting it in the memories of her childhood home.
“After finishing my postgraduate diploma, I was looking for an opportunity to make a short film. Around that time, I was writing about my childhood experiences and memories of my ancestral home, particularly a vivid image of the armchair placed near our entrance, kept coming back to me. I remember I used to struggle to fit in it. It had a wide seat and carried a strong presence. This film became a way to look back at those childhood memories while exploring themes that are important to me today,” shared the director.
Triparna Maiti
Being an animation artist, it felt right to Maiti to use the medium to tell the story. Her reason behind the choice is simple. “Animation liberates you to think beyond the limitations of live action and allows you to create a new visual language,” she said.
