'The Interior Is the Mirror of a Character': Stop-Motion Animation Director Lea Vidakovic Interview

From her student film 'Crossed Sild' (2010, co-directed with  Ivana Bosnjak) to the multi-awarded 'The Family Portrait' (2023, Adriatic Animation/Vivement Lundi!/Biberche Productions), Serbian/Croatian animation director and artist (and researcher) Lea Vidakovic has crafted her own indie animation path remarkably consistently. Her films, 'Sisters' (2012), 'The Vast Landscape – porcelain stories' (2014), 'HOME' (2020), reflect an intimate (mostly interior) world that exudes wonder and familiarity at the same time.

In the film and animation festival world, her films have been screened at over 300 festivals, winning numerous awards. Having already a number of degrees (including a PhD in animation studies from NTU/ADM Singapore), Lea Vidakovic is a multimedia artist, working equally on installations and corresponding research on animation in space.

We caught up with her during the latest Etiuda & Anima Festival (14-19 October 2025), where she served as a jury member and a retrospective of her works was being showcased. She talked to Zippy Frames about her work, which for her is a "continuing, growing, and learning process".

Starting with stop-motion animation 

As early as I discovered puppet animation. I already had a background in the arts and a desire to combine the two worlds. In 2009, during my Erasmus student year in Cardiff, I had wanted to make a very long and slow puppet film, but I discovered that making something long and slow in animation would take a few years. Completely by accident, or by necessity, I discovered a way to create a durational animated piece without the lengthy production time. Non-cinematic venues, such as galleries, offer the space and time to exhibit several short animation pieces simultaneously, in a loop, along with other exhibits. So, I created three short animations and exhibited them, and there it was – my first animated installation. I was in awe of what space and animation can do outside of the cinema.

Crossed Sild

Capturing human and other characters in stop-motion animation

I am most inspired by relationships, both between humans and between humans and animals, and, above all, our relationship with space. Having an opportunity to build sets and play with light and space is the most wonderful and powerful thing we can do in puppet animation, aside from the wonderful materiality that is already innate to this
technique. But it is the characters that breathe life into these spaces. The mutual relationship between characters and the space they occupy is what I have come to value even more during the shooting of 'The Family Portrait'. The relationships can be depicted through cinematography, space, light, and metaphor, without many words or actions. 

The Family Portrait

Hands-on animating

I am very much involved in the pre-production and procution process. Except for the armatures, I build all the puppets myself; I also design, fabricate, collect, and reassemble all the miniatures. The visual world of the film is under strict scrutiny of my eye; every single detail counts, and nothing is there by accident. Same with light and cinematography. There are no compromises there. With animation, it's a different story. I collaborate with animators, some of whom are familiar with my work and me. I completely trust their work, but when we work together, we discuss every detail of the movement or the feeling that needs to be achieved. Subtle performances are so important. Animation is teamwork and an endless learning process.  

Sets, Interiors, and Lighting

When you look at an interior, you can tell exactly who it belongs to, who lives there -this is fascinating. It is a mirror of a character, or an extension of one. Objects, furniture, and the space as a whole tell a story, even without the character being there, which is so powerful. I look for materials and designs that will enhance and support the narrative. It is not that hard to find, once you know what you are looking for.

Without light, there would be nothing. We would not see the sets, the characters, or the animation. But with the ”wrong” kind of light, we again wouldn’t see the things as they are supposed to be. So to me, and to my films, light is everything. It not only sets the mood and paints the atmosphere, but it also makes the air visible and thicker. I would like the viewer to feel the light tickle of sunshine on their own skin while they watch the films. We spend a lot of time fiddling with lights to bring that feeling.

Sisters

Animation and Installation as Modes of a Dual Expression

The installation is the primary and original format for these films, including 'The Family Portrait'. It is, unfortunately, very challenging to show and distribute this kind of work in that format, so not many people have had a chance to see it. I still have hopes to show  'The Family Portrait' in other spaces; so far, it has been exhibited only in Croatia. The experience of this film is simply different. In the installation, the film runs on 7 projections, and is quite an immersive experience, but most importantly, it is the
viewer who will make the edit of the film, so for everyone, it will be a little different experience.

The Family Portrait Zagreb installation (photo: Juraj Vuglac, HDLU)

An Animator and A Researcher

I really enjoy teaching both at the BA and MA levels. I teach puppet animation and photography [ LV is an assistant professor at Lusofona University, Portugal]; teaching is a rewarding dialogue with students. Currently, I am leading an ILIND-supported project with a team in Portugal, which proposes a video wall featuring animated images in a children's hospital. We explore images and animations that can bring some calm and reduce anxiety. I am also involved in a Creative EU project with the same aim, but this time using painted/printed murals with natural elements that will trigger AR animations in children's hospitals in Bulgaria, Portugal, and Croatia. All my research focuses on animation in non-cinematic venues; I am fascinated by the power of this medium, and I hope we will be able to see more animation on various surfaces, in different venues, and across various formats. I am also curious to explore what kind of narratives can emerge from these environments.

Etiuda & Anima 2025 Jury Experience

It was amazing! I felt so fortunate to be on a jury with Peter Lord and Marcin Podolec; we had so much fun, and I just could not ever imagine that Peter would ever see my puppets that were exhibited during the festival. It was unreal. Meeting so many wonderful people, old and new friends, seeing Jerzy Kucia from afar gave me shivers, because I am such a big fan of his films, but, like most introverted animation people, I am terrified to make contact. The festival team organised a screening of all my films. I thought it was brave, tough, and a bit crazy to see many of these slow films in a row, but I got wonderful comments and questions I kept thinking about long after the Q&A was finished. The audience in Poland was Something! The festival team is amazing, caring, passionate, and warm. I was very honored to be part of it.

 Peter Lord, Lea Vidakovic, and Marcin Podolec during Etiuda & Anima 2025

New Projects

Currently, I am developing a new puppet film - heavily relying on sound and singing, and this is something I have never done before. I am terrified and excited. A contemporary fairytale set in a baroque setting, a sensual visual story of coming of age, told through the eyes of four little girls.

The Family Portrait: Trailer

Lea Vidakovic webpage: leavidakovic.com

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