As asthmatic Matti coughs again, he hears the irritating sentence “Don’t die on me”. A revolting portrayal of the noisy life inside a malfunctioning body, and the deadly silence that stops it.

Interview with Director/Animator Ori Goldberg

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I had a terrible ear infection and was told by my doctor that it was just my usual allergic phlegm that got so backed up it made its way into my ears. It got me thinking how these seemingly local breathing problems actually affect every aspect of my life experience, and how in many ways it's defined by my inability to properly breathe.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

It's a funny, gross, sharp, animated poem about life and death. Plus it is only 3 minutes so why shouldn't you watch it? You've never seen so much snot in as many animation techniques in your life.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

The film goes through a lifetime of gross, humiliating moments related to asthma and allergies, all of which I experienced firsthand. It talks about the state of mind you get when you can't distinguish "being sick" from "being alive". Does that make death the cure? Is the cure worth it?

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

Most of the script was forcibly expunged over the course of 24 hours before the submission deadline of the short film project it was funded through. I was very adamant that the funding is sufficient for two months of work, so the deadline dictated some script cuts and some stylistic choices. I feel motivated by pressure! I think it ended up more forgiving and less snarky than what I had in mind in the beginning.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

Mostly delighted, some of it grossed out, and anyone with breathing problems seems to identify tremendously.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

More people connected to it than I would have thought. I thought these were some pretty shameful and specific life experiences, but no one is THAT special, luckily.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

Hopefully a packed screening in Slamdance, and maybe some of that wealth and fame I keep hearing about.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

A distributor would be great of course, as would journalists and film festival directors. Also if the World Health Organization wants to sponsor the film's online debut on international Asthma day, I'd be happy to.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

It's ultimately just a morbid little joyride, so if people are entertained by it and carry it in their hearts, it's all I could ask for.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Are souls fundamentally disgusting?

Would you like to add anything else?

I owe a debt of gratitude to Seoro Oh's film, (OO), which I hated so much when it came out because I couldn't believe someone did such a beautiful snot animation short before I got to. The fact it already existed forced me to think about what crucially unique thing I have to say and focus on it. Thanks, Seoro! You're better than me in every way.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I'm at the early production stages of Glug, an ecological stop-motion short about the relationship between a silly man and the tiny, sentient meat planet he lives on, and the finishing stages of Monsterfuckers, an international animation collaboration about monster fucking.

Interview: January 2023

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

Don't Die On me

Length: 3:00

Director: Ori Goldberg

Producer: Ori Goldberg

Writer: Ori Goldberg

About the writer, director and producer:

ORI GOLDBERG is an award-winning animation director, experimenting with mixed media and mixed feelings in short films, music videos and illustration. Born in Jerusalem, 1990, Ori graduated in animation studies at Bezalel Academy of Art & Design in 2017. Ori co-founded the Jerusalem-based Tohu animation collective in 2018 and now lives with a lady and a dog.

Key cast: Ori Kadishay (sound & music), Itamar Shlomo Cohen (dubbing), Medusa (music), Tali Genshaft (additional animation)

Looking for: distributors

Facebook: Ori Parshedona Goldberg

Instagram: @o.g_parshedona

Hashtags used: #animation #animationshort #animationfestival #experimentalanimation #experimental #mixedmedia #asthma #allergies #death #grossout #breathing

Website: origoldberg.art

Other: Vimeo

Made in association with: Tohu collective

Funders: Gesher film fund

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

PIAFF / Paris - 20.1 19:30
Slamdance / Park City- 22.1 19:30, 24.1 10:45
Kaboom animation festival / Amsterdam- 24.3