Reflective Encounters

“Cross-cutting between different planes of existence and different styles of animation, YUGO conveys the ways in which testimony, history both national and familial, and even the minute workings of the human body are all intertwined. By letting the voices recall family experiences via narration, the animation takes on personal overtones, as opposed to being a lofty polemic on the effects of capitalism in Colombia.

What unites the differing styles of animation is that they each have a defined texture, grounding the story in a certain materiality that evokes a range of associations. Stop-motion for instance, with its emphasis on reanimating objects that are meant to be static, ensures that the macabre prospect of death is never far from the mind. CGI meanwhile, with its clean efficient looks, comes across as less spiritual and more industrial. This fits in with the messaging of YUGO, which heartbreakingly details how the incessant demand for production in a capitalist system frequently comes at the expense of people’s health. That’s the case whether it applies to building houses, or even something as trivial as producing hood ornaments for cars.” 

— Cathy Brennan