A Homeless Woman Has a Profound Encounter With a Dead Fish in a Surreal Stop-Motion Animated Short

“Waste Away” by Elly Stern is a profound, surreal stop-motion animated short about a homeless woman who discovers a dead fish amongst the garbage strewn around the alley where she sleeps. After a moment of hesitation, the woman swallows the fish whole. Rather than being digested, however, the fish awakens and swims around in her womb, making her appear to be pregnant. The thought of impending motherhood gives the woman the will to survive, but when a flood overtakes the city, she gets left behind.

In a trash-filled city, a homeless woman’s encounter with a fish takes an unexpected turn…The setting of urban neglect emphasizes the pervasive alienation between people and humanity’s destructive impact on their environment. Relevant to today’s crisis, at a time when nature is undermining our position as its ruler, this animation tells a vivid story of disaster and rebirth.

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