Released on World AIDS Day and premiering on S/W after an impressive festival run which saw it pick-up nominations at Anima and Annecy, and awards at Anima Mundi and Chicago International Film Festival, Sangro (I Bleed) is an insightful and emotive animated short examing the confusing emotions of a person living with HIV. Created by Tiago Minamisawa, Bruno H Castro and Guto BR (co-director) and described by Minamisawa as a “healing process for my boyfriend Caioh Deroci”, who the film is inspired by, mixed-media animation is employed to visualise the confessions of the narrator, as they openly reveal their fear of what the stigmatization of the virus could cause to their life.

“I thought I would be dead by now”

Opening with the line “I thought I would be dead by now” (voiced by Deroci), seven-minute short I Bleed details the thought-process of a person as they comes to terms with living with HIV. Following their journey as they becoming isolated (claiming they felt like they were “the virus itself”), before finding new meaning in life, as the narrator asks “how do you see me? We’re forced to question our views on those suffering with HIV, as I Bleed presents us with a very personal perspective.

Providing partner Deroci with an opportunity to share the experience of living with HIV, Minamisawa explains (in conversation with S/W) how hopes the short will help others who still need to keep their situation secret. “I wanted to create a film that could talk to people from all over the world and convey a message of overcoming and valuing life”, the filmmaker explains as we discuss the motivation behind I Bleed. “The film also proposes to talk about HIV without stigmatization and prejudice, updating the discourse about the virus to a more contemporary perspective”.

Narratively, I Bleed feels like an important film, but its engaging nature lies not only in its subject but also in its craft. Brought to screen through what Minamisawa describes as “experimental animation language with hybrid techniques”, the short uses a classical painting, 2D animation and stop-motion to visualise its story.

“We used the painting The Garden of Earthly Delights, by Hieronymus Bosch as a way of illustrating the character’s path through hell, purgatory and heaven”, Minamisawa reveals as we discuss how the trio of filmmakers used this classic piece of art to symbolizing the character’s transitions after discovering that he is living with HIV. Adding to Bosch’s original imagery by layering 2D animation on top (making it possibly the best background design ever seen in animation?), I Bleed combines this distinct aesthetic with more traditional animation, this time on the pages of old books.

With its thought-provoking content and striking aesthetic, it’s easy to see why I Bleed proved so popular on the festival circuit. Minamisawa is now working on a new stop-motion short titled Kabuki – we’ll bring you more details of that when we have them.