Rita was my grandmother, a big snail who got around with a walker. She passed away in 2024, and this short film tells the story of our bond.
Rita lived a full life, surrounded by many people who loved her, and she had a passion for cooking mussels.
Her passing revealed the depth of the bond we shared, one I had sometimes taken for granted. This short film is about Rita, but it is also a way to confront the theme of death, to look it in the eye and overcome the fear it brings.
Rita lived a full life, surrounded by many people who loved her, and she had a passion for cooking mussels.
Her passing revealed the depth of the bond we shared, one I had sometimes taken for granted. This short film is about Rita, but it is also a way to confront the theme of death, to look it in the eye and overcome the fear it brings.
Director: Francesca Colombara
Animation: Francesca Colombara
Suond design: Matteo Dang Minh
Year: 2025
© CIANG studio
Festival Selections:
- Sea Slug Animation Festival (Seattle, Washington, USA) – January 20, 2026
- Animateka, International Animated Film Festival (Slovenia) – December 5, 2025
- Sardinia Film Festival (Italy) – October 30, 2025
- CutOut Fest, International Animation and Digital Art Festival (Mexico) – October 15, 2025
- BITBANG, International Animation Festival (Buenos Aires, Argentina) – September 17, 2025
- Pirate Cinema Festival (Italy) – May 16, 2025
- Lugano Animation Days (Lugano, Ticino, Switzerland) – October 14, 2025
- Insomnia International Animation Film Festival (Russia) – June 20, 2025
The short film Rita was presented as part of the exhibition “Lives, Deaths and the Miracle”, curated by CIANG, featuring works by Matteo Dang, Adina Oana Enache, Francesca Colombara, Maria Zilli, Giacomo Calderoni, Nespy5euro, Nick Ohlo, Oscar Renni, Rullampo, Sara Priorelli, and Valeria Weerasinghe.
Produced and hosted by TAM (Tower Art Museum), the exhibition brought the world of contemporary Italian and European independent animation to Matera, offering a different perspective on animation as a medium capable of telling any kind of story, from everyday banality to the most extraordinary and imaginative worlds.
Anything can come to life, move, and become animated. Even death.
Anything can come to life, move, and become animated. Even death.
