Intimate Animation: Floor Adams (‘Mind My Mind’)
Presenting the second episode of the third season of Intimate Animation, a Skwigly podcast in which we explore, discuss and interview the talents behind animation that deals with adult themes of love, relationships and sexuality.
In this episode we meet Netherlands-based director Floor Adams, who has drawn upon her unique personal and professional experiences with people on the autism spectrum to create Mind My Mind, a remarkable, charming and touching half-hour animated short.
Having graduated from the ArtEZ Institute of the Arts with a degree in Fine Arts in 2005, Floor went on to study animation at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Ghent and has continued to create art and animation since, alongside working in mental healthcare and psychiatry for a number of years.
As well as taking on the prevailing issues of social and emotional limitations through its sympathetic portrayal of model aeroplane-enthusiast Chris, whose internal process for dealing with the world around him is represented by Hans, an ‘information processor’ who lives in his head, Mind My Mind also explores the conflict of navigating new romantic relationships and sexual experiences against his reluctance to disrupt the routines of his structured, German dive bomber-oriented life.
When relying on social scripts to survive the social world, it’s not easy to go off-script. Especially if you’re obsessed with German dive bombers and just want to date a girl.
Presently enjoying a strong festival run that has so far seen it pick up awards at Anima Brussels (where it premiered), ITFS Stuttgart, Go Short International Short Film Festival Nijmegen and Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival (UPDATE 30/09/2019 – the film also received Special Mention at this year’s Encounters Short Film Festival), Mind My Mind was recently granted an Oscar®-qualifying run in the USA by EYE International and will be screening in competition at Bristol’s Encounters festival this week.
Also discussed in this episode: Highlights from this year’s Encounters festival programme of other animated short films that deal with themes of love, desire and intimacy as well as the new animated Amazon Prime series Undone and its interwoven explorations of relationships and mental health issues.
Direct download here or stream below:
Presented by Ben Mitchell and Laura-Beth Cowley
Produced and edited by Ben Mitchell
Music by Ben Mitchell