Sympoietic Bodies
11 Min, Hybrid Short Film, 2020
Concept & Synopsis
The hybrid short film Sympoietic Bodies explores the disruption of the boundaries between human body and its social and physical surroundings. By considering borders and constraints as a pure product of the anthropocentric, the film shows a world seen from a hybrid post-anthropocentric view.
The narration develops alongside three key moments — 'Skin', 'Hybrid' and 'Sympoiesis' — interconnected with each other through the questions of the body, transformation and fragmentation.
The plot follows the story of “C”, inhabitant of a hybrid urban formation. “C” narrates in first person her life in the city and how hybrid bodies live in sympoiesis with other human/nonhuman beings and the surrounding environment. Borders and boundaries dissolve. Alongside the main narration, a second one, made out of fragmentary images of “C” and her interaction with a second mysterious hybrid body (“unknown”), provides the story with a second layer of depth and understanding.
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03.1_SYMPOIESIS_Ch_COLOR-GRADING
02.1_HYBRID_Ch_COLOR-GRADING
Film Credits
Written, directed and produced: Flavia Mazzanti
Performers: Cat Jimenez, Elisa Elektra Pirone
CGI Artist: Manuel Bonell
CGI Assistant: Flavia Mazzanti
Digital Camera: Gabor Racz
Voiceover: Victoria Hogan
Supporting Cast: Martin Eichler, Dila Kirmizitoprak, Davide Porta, Maximilian Unterfrauener
Motion tracking operator: Flavia Mazzanti, Manuel Bonell
Kinect Camera: Manuel Bonell
Faro Scan operator: Flavia Mazzanti
Creative director: Manuel Bonell, Flavia Mazzanti
Editing: Flavia Mazzanti
Color grading: Manuel Bonell, Flavia Mazzanti, Laura Skocek
Sound design: Wobblersound (David Zahradnicek, Markus Zahradnicek) & Flavia Mazzanti
Mastering: Lenja Gathmann
ORF III post production: Laura Skocek
Programme manager: Judith Revers
Project supervision: Wolfgang Tschapeller, Andreas Spiegl, Damjan Minovski
Technical Support: Werner Skvara, Michael Bonell, Damjan Minovski, Christina Jauernik
Hergestellt mit der Unterstützung der Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien; ORF III Kultur und Information; Bundesministerium für Kunst, Kultur, öffentlicher Dienst und Sport; Magistrat der Stadt Wien – Magistratsabteilung 7 Kultur.
Danke an den ORF III Kulturbeirat. Realisiert im Rahmen der Reihe “Pixel, Bytes + Film - ORF III Artist in Residence.”
Flavia Mazzanti © 2020
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Institute for Art and Architecture
Vienna 2020

Screenings & Awards
2021 Official Selection: Tricky Women Tricky Realities 2021. Austrian Panorama. Vienna (AT)
2021 Official Selection: Filmfest Bremen 2021, Bremen (DE)
2021 Official Selection: Moscow Indie Film Festival, Moscow (RU)
2020 Official Selection: 2 Days Animation Festival / Best Austrian Animation, Vienna (AT)
2020 Official Selection: PSIAF, Palm Springs Int. Animation Film Festival, Palm Springs, California (USA)
2020 Online Screening as part of the CEE Animation Experience @AnimatekaPRO, Animateka International
Animation Film Festival, Ljubljana (SI)
2020 Gustav Peichl Award, Vienna (AT)
Check out the Making-of: Sympoietic Bodies
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© 2021 by Flavia Mazzanti. All Rights Reserved