Serbia and Montenegro 2022
Duration: 09:39
Directed by: Bettina Sremko
Screenplay: Bettina Sremko
Animation: Bettina Sremko
Technique: mixed technique
Music: Gergely Buttinger
Production/School: József Fülöp
Dialogue language: English, Serbian
Subtitles language: English

“Merciful Angel” is a short 9-minute animated documentary about the NATO airstrikes which occurred in 1999 in the former republic of Yugoslavia. We are able to get a glimpse of the events through the eyes of two young boys and their family. Through the combination of 3D animation and 2D rotoscopy, we are able to observe almost lifelike characters in a documentary manner, and dream sequences that are able to convey the fear that came with the war situation unfolding. The movie was inspired by interviews, in which the subjects participating were able to tell their own stories. These stories were then put together, building up to a visual narrative that's understandable even for those who never experienced a similar situation.

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