Nobody can be defined with a single word. Whist it may be convenient for society to label and sort us into simplistic categories (sportsperson, intellectual, puritan, bohemian, man, woman, etc), in fact our identity – our self-image – resists being pigeon-holed as this or that. The self is always a combination of various compartments – some bigger, others smaller – that open and close as we grow and develop and our identities evolve.

This year’s Fest Anča aims to reflect the complexity and individuality of human identity in six screening sections – with each taking a different approach. “Stranger Danger” reveals the pitfalls of isolation, exclusion and fear of the unknown. “None of Your Business” considers how people associate their identity with their jobs and their work success (or failure). “Growing Pains” examines the hardships of growing up and searching for one’s own voice, while “Family Ties” reminds us that even after growing up it’s impossible to escape our families’ influence. The last two sections focus on the specific language of animated film, highlighting its efficiency at illustrating hidden feelings and thoughts (“It’s All in My Head”), and the use of animals as alter-egos, funny or melancholic metaphors for complex human characters and identities (“Our Spirit Animals”).

Eliška Děcká, 2019 Focus Curator

A list of films that will be screened as part of Focus: Identity

2019 Fest Anča International Festival is financially supported with public funds from the Slovak Audiovisual Fund.