What is the film about?

Through snakey dildos, setting boundaries and a journey through a mind bending forest, we follow Siro’s quest for self discovery.

What influenced it?

The journey for this film began when I was accepted into the Royal College of Arts Kyoto Exchange Programme. This meant I was lucky enough to spend the first semester of my second year in Kyoto, Japan, a place which I have been so in love with for much of my life. Living there for four months was truly a dream, and I started developing ‘Eating In The Dark’ during this period.

Being somewhere where you’d always hoped to be yet completely alone, with nothing to remind you of who you are was shockingly difficult and eye-opening. I realised how fragile a person’s identity can be and how easily we can get lost. Personally, when I’m feeling vulnerable, other people’s opinions and comments weigh more than they should. Suddenly precious elements of your life can become a source of embarrassment, making way for self-doubt and insecurity. Ultimately, I wanted to illustrate these feelings and topics in this film.

A little background information...

First and foremost, I hope people have fun watching my work, and if this sparks any deeper conversations, then that’s simply awesome. I didn’t want to approach the topics of sexism and mental health in such a heavy-handed way. Finding the humour in something painful allows me to digest it. Making things ridiculous, silly, and funny can be the best and most cathartic way of handling these themes.

How was the film made?

The writing of the film came in bursts of dialogue that ultimately developed into the entire script. I often form an idea around a character rather than the story, and I let them guide me through their world.
Pacing was constantly at the forefront of my mind in terms of direction, I wanted to achieve the juxtaposition of intensity and calm, working together to create a powerful tone. To accomplish this, the immense talent of my sound designer and composers was crucial. They totally captured the essence perfectly.

Colour, shape, and composition will always remain a priority in my work, coming from a graphic design background, those elements will forever be a tool to capture the story.

The film is animated in Photoshop and composed in After Effect and Premiere.