Catalina Arroyave Restrepo wins Annecy for *Once in a Body*
Catalina Arroyave Restrepo won best Colombian short at Annecy for *Once in a Body*, a 16-minute animated film based on her childhood trauma, blending animation with survivor testimonies. The film addr
Filmmaker Catalina Arroyave Restrepo has won the best Colombian short at Annecy with “Once in a Body,” a 16-minute fiction rooted in real childhood tr
Read Full Story at Variety →Why This Matters
Catalina Arroyave Restrepo’s *Once in a Body* transcends its medium by transforming personal trauma into a public dialogue—a rare feat in animation, which often sanitizes or obscures the raw textures of lived experience. The film’s hybrid approach—merging fiction with survivor testimonies—challenges the industry’s tendency to either exoticize or exploit marginalized narratives, instead grounding its storytelling in a methodology that prioritizes agency and authenticity.
Background Context
Colombia’s animated cinema has long been dominated by commercial franchises or state-sponsored projects that avoid grappling with the country’s violent recent history, despite its cultural relevance. The rise of filmmakers like Restrepo reflects a generational shift, where artists raised in the shadow of the 2000s peace process are re-examining trauma through hybrid forms, bypassing the constraints of traditional documentary or narrative filmmaking.
What Happens Next
The film’s Annecy win could catalyze further funding for trauma-informed animation projects, particularly those blending fiction with documentary techniques. Observers should watch whether Colombian institutions—often hesitant to support politically sensitive art—adjust their grant frameworks to accommodate such hybrid works, or if international accolades will pressure domestic platforms to take notice.
Bigger Picture
Restrepo’s approach aligns with a broader movement in global animation toward "testimonial animation," where artists use the form’s plasticity to confront silenced histories without resorting to voyeurism. As platforms like Annecy diversify their recognition criteria, this could signal a turning point where animation is no longer treated as escapist entertainment but as a legitimate medium for reckoning.
