The dressmaker, remnants of a life: Una reflexión sobre la construcción del ser y las memorias a través de la animación

The Dressmaker, remnants of a life, is a visual representation of our research in animation ,at the Animated Learning Lab, as a means of reflection on the construction of the self and memories. Through the artistic production of motion pictures, an introspection is done in the author’s personal history, where she compiles memories, charged of feelings and emotions, which later on will build the story and its characters.
Currently it’s not very common to conceive animation as a communication media of biographies. Neverthless, features as Drawn from Memory (1995, Paul Fierlinger), Waltz with Bashir (2008, Ari Folman), It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012, Don Hertzfeldt), Arrugas (2012, Ignacio Ferreras) o Rocks in my Pockets (2014, Signe Baumane), are clear samples of the treatment of the autobiographic memory and the documentary through animation techniques.
When we produce an animated film, we can appreciate how the creation of characters and scenarios are transformed into visual metaphores, making possible the re-creation of past moments or the simulation of possible ones. In such a way, we experience in our own bodies, thanks to the imagination, new virtual situations, carriers of great knowledge, which help us to reflect upon thoughts, feelings and actions (personal or external). Such experiences shape our personalities and whose emotional balance our happiness depends on.

Memories are the left over product out of experiences, constituents of a reality. This is seen and created by a unique perception which we identify with, where the emotions determine how we perceive and make sense of our living. Rudolf Arnheim, in his book The Intelligence of Vision: An Interview with Rudolf Arnheim, 2001, gives us his opinion regarding to this matter by affirming that art is an attempt to comprehend the meaning of our existence. Being more aware of ourselves help us to regulate the emotions and get a deeper understanding of the self. Nevertheless, what would happen, if for any reason out of our control, those memories dissapear? Would we be the same people? Would we feel or think in the same way? Would our consciousness be affected, what about our essence?
“Our memory is our coherence, our reason, our accion, our feelings. Without it, we’re nothing” (Buñuel, 1982, p.7)
Its important to explore new communication media like animation, which can help us to express and research about the psychology of the self. Animation, for it’s metaphorical power and playfulness: mix of reality and fantasy, results a very attractive and effective tool to explore different points of view and work the neuroplasticity, facilitator of the physical changes of our brain and our behavior, area of study of Richard Davidson and Daniel Siegel, U.S. The right use of this artistic form, improves self-development and the creation of visual testimonies, legacies of great artistic value, historical, educative and therapeutical.
We learn from and creating stories, individual and colective memories; which we can animate and preserve, through the animation cinema as a reflective and artistic media.