Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake

Olivia lives in a small flat with her mum, an actress, and her little brother Tim. Her mum isn’t getting many job offers at the moment. Nevertheless, Olivia and her brother seem to have everything they need. But when the electricity is cut off, her mum sits crying in the living room at night and Olivia and her small family are forced to leave the flat, the girl realises that perhaps not everything is as wonderful as it seemed. Their new home has a great view from the roof, but the pesky neighbour boy, the lack of furniture and worries about her mother make life difficult for Olivia – and then there’s the invisible earthquake that only she can see and feel. Luckily, she finds friends at school who help her learn to navigate these difficult times.  

The Catalonian-French-Belgian-Chilean-Swiss co-production directed by Irene Iborra Rizo tells a story about homelessness, mental health issues and solidarity without resorting to kitsch. The stop-motion film, which also uses other animation techniques such as silhouette and sand animation, captivates with its lovingly crafted visual language and ingenuity. “Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake” was honoured with the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival. (Corinna Haag)