The first film by Dimitri Mihajlovic and Miguel Lima is being created at BAP – Animation Studio, in Cedofeita, Porto. The animation “Quase me Lembro” is one of the projects supported by Filmaporto’s Neves Grant.
“Quase me Lembro” reflects on the process of memory loss caused by the passage of time. In conversations about the theme, the two directors evoked their personal experiences, which ended up dictating the course of the film. Miguel Lima recalls one of those episodes: “I was drawing a picture of my grandmother’s house, who passed away 11 years ago. That house was very dear to me and I knew it well, so I was sure the walls in the hallway were yellow. However, when I saw photographs, I realized that they were actually blue. This event was a little shocking to me.” The short film developed from the feeling caused by the loss of memories, resulting in an intimate film fed by the memories of the two authors.
Dimitri Mihajlovic and Miguel Lima’s taste for experimental cinema influenced the abstract narrative: the film is a sensorial and introspective journey of a character who crosses his memories, in an attempt to reconnect with something that has already happened. However, the more he tries to get closer, the further he moves away from that past.
According to the filmmakers, this idea of memory loss is also in the technique used in the animation. “There is a process of accumulating information that we wanted to have in the film. The drawings are initially digitally painted and printed. Then we erase almost all the printing and draw over it and, finally, we photograph – and the photography is also closely linked to the capture of a moment. This whole process implies washing out and destroying in order to build again on top of that”.
Despite having collaborated on several films – and even on the same projects, but at different stages – it is the first time that Dimitri Mihajlovic and Miguel Lima work together and assume the role of directors. According to both, this partnership was originated by the collaborative spirit of the BAP – Animation Studio, that was born in the production company Bando à Parte and ended up becoming independent. The duo was joined by Carolina Bonzinho, Leander Meresaar and Teresa Baroet who work in the animation and painting of the short film. Rozenn Busson and Marta Andrade also worked, at an early stage, on the animation of this eight-minute film.
“Quase me Lembro” is one of the projects supported, in 2021, by Filmaporto’s Neves Grant, aimed at artists, filmmakers and producers residing in Porto. Although the film has funding from the ICA – Instituto do Cinema e do Audiovisual, for Dimitri Mihajlovic and Miguel Lima, the support given by Filmaporto allowed them to maintain their creative freedom. “[This grant] gave us space to think more about the film and take risks without sacrificing some ideas just because we didn’t have time”, they explain. “It also gave us the possibility to make mistakes and experiment these painting tests. The process of erasing and drawing over the prints took some time. I have doubts that we could have done it without this grant”.
The production of the short film will be extended until the end of the year. “Quase me Lembro” will have its premiere in 2023.
