Nana Dee
As years go by in a quiet house, its only resident spends most of her days alone. A TV game show fills the empty space, yet Nana Dee’s attention is solely on the clock on the wall, making every second feel like an hour. She’s expecting someone and they’re late.
Interview with Director Marta Sniezek
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
This film was a passion project for us all from the start. When Momo Willet co-director approached us with the initial concept, to highlight the fact that we all live our lives and get old but for a lot of us our golden years, if we are lucky enough to see them, can be lonely ones. We wanted to show this with the hope that after seeing the film people would want to reconnect or simply call or visit our golden generation. We wanted to make a film that felt real and tangible hence stop motion.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If we are lucky enough we have older people present in our lives. We all have a Nana Dee, be they mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, friends, colleagues. This film is a little nudge or reminder to ring, call their house, anything to reengage with them. It is not meant to be a sad tale but does show how sad it can be that Nana's only companions are a TV and a dog, and how a whole day can be an eternity waiting for someone to visit.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
No matter what language you have or the culture you are from, you can connect with this film. We all have a Nana Dee in our lives. Some have made us into the people we are today. It is a simple acknowledgement of them and how important they are but how easily they can be forgotten or overlooked. While making this film 3 grandmothers passed away. It is dedicated and in memory of them
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
As the script has virtually no dialogue. We wanted to tell how rich a life Nana Dee had, in a visual way. This meant we had to create a whole history and past for her. This was the challenge not just to introduce Nana as a character but to show she had lived a full life. This is when the set and props became characters in themselves. We spent hours delving into her past and then creating props that reflected her rich full life. This was the fun but hard part. Telling Nana's life story in mere seconds was not easy. This was a challenge but the more we got into it the richer Nana's world became and therefore Nana came to life as an individual.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It has truly been amazing. From the initial funding meeting with Screen Ireland (Frameworks) and RTE. It was immediately apparent that people just got it. Most people come to us after seeing the film saying I just have to ring my mam, father, Aunt whatever older person they have a relationship with. It is a simple but lovely message, reengage with your loved ones. When going to festivals we bring Nana Dee with us. When people hear she is here they all want to meet her. She has had more red carpet photos taken of her with people than we have. The biggest surprise was to be nominated for an IFTA (Irish Film & Television Awards). You could have blown us over. Even to be nominated and be up against wonderful projects just boggles the mind. Fingers crossed.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
When you are in the bubble of trying to make a film and anyone who has ever tried knows how all-consuming it can be. You don't really think beyond it. We wanted people to like it but we really wanted to tell a story first, a story that we were proud of and that told a message. The biggest thing that kept on hitting us was how much of an impact it had on people both sad and positive. In the early days we were asked 'Is it not very sad, should it not have a more upbeat ending?' We felt that the whole point was that, yes, it is sad and that all stories do not have a happy ending. The end of the film leaves you in a way that you have to think for yourself as to whether it is sad or not. But what we hoped was that it would leave people wanting to reconnect and I think we did that.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
The whole point of this film for us was to tell a story that highlights the sometimes lonely lives of our older generation. If we can get as many people to see it and spread the message for people to reconnect, to let people know they have not been forgotten, to embrace the people we are from or of.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We are film-makers and storytellers, we are not producers, sales agents etc... It is a strange dance that is not really in our skill set. We, like Nana, do not have huge funds but what we do have is a heartfelt story. We would love producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, and journalists to see this film and its message and help us get that message to as many people as possible.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We would like the film to resonate and make people think. Is there someone in your life that needs a phone call or a visit? Someone that you need to reconnect with. Or simply to remember those people in our lives who have impacted us and made us into the people are
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How do we view and treat our older generation, people in their golden years? You would think that these people should be revered for the lives they have lived and the gems of knowledge they hold, but more often than not they are like an old book forgotten and left on a dusty old shelf. How can we change this? What can we do to reconnect?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Momo Willet (Co-Director): is at present doing an MA in Bristol honing her craft.
Marta Sniezek (Co-Director:) is at present working with Meala Animation Studio and working on a Paper stop-motion animation - Rerouted (Screen Ireland Frameworks funded).
Paul McDonnell: As well as teaching he is the Creative director on Rerouted (Screen Ireland Frameworks) and Creative director on Drawn Together RTE junior.
Interview: March 2024
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
Nana Dee
As years go by in a quiet house, its only resident spends most of her days alone. A TV game show fills the empty space, yet Nana Dee’s attention is solely on the clock on the wall, making every second feel like an hour. She’s expecting someone and they’re late.
Length: 3:33
Director: Marta Sniezek and Momo Willet
Producer: Sarah O'Carroll
Writer: Dylan Spurling
About the writer, director and producer:
MARTA SNIEZEK is an animator/director based in Dublin, working on an upcoming animated short film as an animation director, tackling her first paper stop motion project. She is also a full-time animator for an upcoming TV show Doodle Girl at Studio Meala.
MOMO WILLET received her BA in model making, presently studying for an MA in Animation in Bristol. She is currently working on socio-political environmental and cultural topics using 2D animation.
DYLAN SPURLING is a writer based in Wicklow with a formal education from Trinity College where he received a Masters in Screenwriting. He has a keen interest in mythology, fantasy and science fiction which all greatly influence his style of writing.
Key cast: Marta Sniezek (director, animator, cinematographer, editor, compositor), Momo Willet (co-director, puppet maker, model maker), Sarah O'Carroll (producer), Dylan Spurling (writer), Paul McDonnell (creative director), Roberta Doorley (production coordinator, model maker), Heidi Wilson (sound design), Simon McCormick (final sound mixer)
Looking for: journalists
Instagram: @martas_sketchbook, @nanadeeanimation
Hashtags used: #nanadee, #stopmotion, #stopmotionfilm, #animationfilm, #animationshort, #shortfilm, #animatedshortfilm, #puppet, #irishanimation, #screenireland, #frameworks
Made in association with: Macnas
Funders: Screen Ireland
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Manchester Film Festival, Dingle animation Festival