Ball Lightning follows the story of Gusta, a refugee who fled Soviet run East Germany after the end of WWII and immigrated to the United States in the 1960s. The story is told through the eyes of the surrogate daughter that she raised after she was forced to give away her own infant daughter as the iron curtain rose. Gusta serves as an example of survival, kindness and the fortitude of human resilience. The film is dedicated to her lost daughter, Esther, a reminder that the children separated from families because of war are never forgotten by those who love them.
Catriona Trina Baker
USA
2024
English
This short is featured in:
Short Fuse
An eye-opening collection of shorts exploring memories, experiences and relationships between friends, family, and across generations. From powwows in North America, to the rivers of Ethiopia and beyond, these shorts offer memorable stories on screen.
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Credits & Director
Producer
Catriona Trina Baker
Screenwriter
Catriona Trina Baker
ANIM
Trina Baker, Aimee Ham, Hanah Cincotta, Serena Bartlett
Editor
Trina Baker
Catriona Trina Baker
Catriona Baker is an Associate Professor of Animation & VFX at Lesley University’s College of Art and Design. She is an animator, book artist, and painter. Her work predominantly discusses themes of social justice, specifically: sexual assault and domestic violence awareness, female empowerment, and immigration. Her animations explore the visual juxtapositions between traditional mediums and digital processes. She holds a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College, a B.F.A. from Maine College of Art, and an M.F.A. from the University of Pennsylvania where she studied both animation and painting. She has been awarded several grants, and her work has been shown nationally in galleries, and in both private and corporate collections. Her animations have received national and international accolades, including an International Platinum Pixie award and two International CINDY (Cinema in Industry) awards.
VIFF Short Forum
See more shorts in this series
1: Call your mother
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2: Memory & mediation
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3: The peripheral core
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4: Um, womanhood
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5: The absurd & spiritual
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6: City slickin’
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7: All day I dream about
Shorts from: Canada, India, Spain, Taiwan, USA.
8: Love and despair
Shorts from: China, France, Germany, Portugal, USA.
9: The scary one
Shorts from: Canada, Korea, Romania, USA.
10: The new socialism; ceasefire now!
Shorts from: Belgium, Canada, China, India, Myanmar, UK.
Short Fuse
An eye-opening collection of shorts exploring memories, experiences and relationships between friends, family, and across generations. From powwows in North America, to the rivers of Ethiopia and beyond, these shorts offer memorable stories on screen.