Serafima Serafimova
If you own any kind of a computer device with an internet connection, the chances are you have at some point attempted to diagnose a condition or illness with the help of information available online. I myself have come to this write-up freshly traumatised after trying to find out more about a potential health issue of a family member, so Kelly Schiesswohl’s animation TRICHOTILLOMANIA!, inspired by her own Google search on the titular hair-pulling disorder, feels especially relatable.
Created in her childhood bedroom during lockdown, on an old iMac donated by the college she studied at, the US based director’s first short film is a window (or rather multiple windows) into the spiralling human psyche during an online search. Confidently conceived, TRICHOTILLOMANIA! is a dazzling labour of love with every scene so overloaded with visual and auditory information that it might require a second or even a third watch to fully process and appreciate – not a bad thing considering how unique and disturbingly delightful the animation is.
“I had a total of $50 that I spent entirely on felt, fuzz, and unconvincing fake blood from the dollar store on my block” – Schiesswohl discussing the budget for her short
The story is centred around a young character who, in the privacy of her own bedroom, decides to Google why she feels a compulsion to pull her hair out. Her search for answers leads her straight into the strange, frightening and, as is often the case, kinky world of the internet, causing her even more anxiety than before she turned the computer on.
The idea for this brilliantly relatable narrative developed from Schiesswohl’s ambition to explore the pitfalls and anxieties around self-diagnosis. “I felt that (TRICHOTILLOMANIA!) should tell a previously hidden part of my story and to tell it in a way that is so unabashed, unfettered, and authentic to my artistic practice” – the director shared with S/W. “Trich was something that plagued me throughout college and was often an elephant in the room between me and my community. TRICHOTILLOMANIA! speaks to my strange and personal experience, but in a way that opens the door for others to look inward and examine (or chuckle at) the surprising, unexplored facets of themselves.”
It’s this decision to poke fun at a serious issue that makes TRICHOTILLOMANIA! so loveable and fun to watch, as it reassures the viewer that their own fears and anxieties are shared, but it’s the craft that elevates the film to unforgettable.
“The production side of this film is riddled with scrappiness in its purest form. It is a beloved achievement and a pivotal milestone in my ongoing filmmaking journey” – Schiesswohl on her production.
There is a lot to take on in 4 short minutes. The style seems to evolve as the narrative unfolds – with live-action shots interrupting the frame-by-frame animation – and every scene is brought to life with overblown, gloopy sound effects you can almost taste on the tip of your tongue. Then there are the fuzzy, woolly and distinctly hairy textures dancing in the background of every frame, serving as a constant reminder of the film’s theme and making our own hair on the back of our necks stand up. When the audience watches that single eyebrow hair get agonisingly slowly plucked, we feel every bit of the anticipation, stinging pain and sweet satisfaction along with the protagonist. This sensory overload makes TRICHOTILLOMANIA! utterly captivating but also a little bit overwhelming – a combo anyone who’s ever gone on a self-diagnostic journey online will recognise.
When we asked Schiesswohl what she was hoping her audience would take away from her short film, she explained – “Through my silly and over-the-top recreation of this personal story, I hope that viewers are able to forgive their strangeness and perhaps, even extract some delight from it”. I think we can all agree that she has managed to pull that off.