Anchored by her relationship to the sea as a freediver, Mia recalls her past.
France/Netherlands/Portugal
2025
No Dialogue
This short is featured in:
2: Memory & mediation
Indigenous & Community Access
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Credits & Director
Producer
Jérôme Barthélemy, Daniel Sauvage, Olivier Catherin
Screenwriter
Sandra Desmazières
Editor
Guerric Catala
Original Music
Manuel Merlot, Cedryck Santens
Sandra Desmazières
Born in 1978, Sandra Desmazières studied at Duperré and ENSAD in Paris, where she discovered animation. Her graduation film, Sans queue ni tête, won the Cartoon d’Or in 2003, and in 2021, she directed Flowing Home, which was shortlisted for a César and an Academy Award in 2022. Her latest film, Water Girl (2025), was co-produced by Caïmans Productions and Animais and Valk Productions, with the participation of Arte. Desmazières is currently working on a new short film project, J28, and a feature film, Tempête Rouge. In addition to her films, she works as an illustrator and colourist for comics.
VIFF Short Forum
See more shorts in this series
1: Call your mother
Shorts from: Canada, China, UK.
2: Memory & mediation
Shorts from: Canada, France, Lebanon, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Syria, USA.
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
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8: Love and despair
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9: The scary one
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10: The new socialism; ceasefire now!
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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.