Rob Munday
Based on Leonora Carrington’s semi-autobiographical short story of the same name, British animator Elizabeth (Lizzy) Hobbs returns to our pages for the third time, with her 2022 short film The Debutante. The tale of a young woman’s strained relationship with her family’s money and good English manners, this surreal eight-minute animation tells of how she got a hyena from the zoo to take her place at an exclusive ball. With Hobbs’ signature visual style (as witnessed in her previous shorts The Flounder, I’m OK) once again on full display, the humorous storytelling approach is enriched with its distinctive flair, making this a joy to watch on numerous levels.
“What a mess of sh*t!”
Following a quick exposition detailing the opulence surrounding the protagonist’s existence, we discover her disdain for an imminent dinner dance she’s obligated to attended as she exclaims “what a mess of sh*t!”, in conversation with the hyena. However, as the creature highlights how lucky she is to be attending such an affair, our youthful lead contemplates the beast’s size and the dim lighting of the event. Resulting in a plan where the hyena will take her place. 
It’s undeniably an eccentric narrative, but it was one Hobbs was immediately captivated by, with the filmmaker eager to translate it to the screen. Securing permission from the Leonora Carrington Estate involved some negotiation, but once granted, the director set to work adapting the story in her own unique way. True to form, Hobbs’ approach seemed to prioritise improvisation and exploration, with the filmmaker remarking in an interview with Laura-Beth Cowley for Skwigly, “animating can be a bit boring if you know exactly how everything is going to turn out from the beginning”. Before adding:
“I always tried to make something that is a bit surprising for me as well as other people. I usually try to see what I can manage without and try to capture it all in the moment, under the rostrum. You could make The Debutante film in a hundred different ways, every animator would do it differently and it’s so good that I think it would always make a great film, but in my adaptation I wanted to recognise the wildness in the story so that it really kind of shines out of the image, this shocking, joyful story that she’s written.”
A vibrant, humorous and deeply enjoyable film, The Debutante enjoyed a stellar festival run over the past couple of years, playing at Annecy, winning awards at Clermont-Ferrand & SXSW and even making the shortlist for the Best Animated Short Film Award at the 95th Academy Awards.