Telegrams to the Tree

Sofia feels trapped by unexplained sensations of tightness in her body.Trying to name them, she records voice messages to herself: telegrams. She starts to unravel the origins from childhood memories, recalling her grandma's fears about swallowing cherry seeds, warning that a tree would grow inside Sofia's belly. For a curious girl it sounded funny, but over the years, these small fears have sprouted into something painful, that feels like a real tree. She hides this sensitive, unpredictable creature from others and finds herself mirroring similar neurosis to her grandma. Attempting to numb the pain only worsens it, pushing Sofia to a breaking point. In a moment of anger, she wants to burn down the tree, introducing the first color into her world: igniting a journey of self-discovery as she explores emotions through colors and textures. By replacing shame towards the tree with curiosity, Sofia discovers a rich inner environment and liberation in allowing emotions to flow through her.

Director’s statement
'Pain travels through families until someone is ready to feel it.' Sofia is the child in her family tree called on a journey to embrace her emotions. Coming from b&w, simple charcoal lines, she delves into more colors and textures on multiplane. Even though the film touches on heavy subjects like inherited neurosis, it has a lot of humorous elements. It’s a fictional story, rooted in personal experience. I come from a line of people that were very detached from their emotions and their bodies. I too found myself disconnected until a health crisis forced me to confront my true feelings. This difficult moment compelled me to reconnect with my body, finding solace in nature. I spent all my days with trees, observing them and myself. I found great beauty in it – and that's what I want to share with this film. My goal is not to give an easy fix to generational inheritance, but to plant a seed of curiosity in a viewer. To ask a question about your experience of emotions and family tree.