TENSE

TENSE covers themes of bodily tension, anxiety, and inner turmoil through a mix of abstract and figurative storytelling. A combination of textile stretching, x-ray imagery and cut-out animation is used to visualise a state of extreme tension. On the outside, heavy snowfall on a cozy winter night creates a tranquil environment. Through short, abstract glimpses we experience the character’s inner world, gradually getting distorted and stretched. Just as everything is about to tear apart, an unexpected meeting with a horse gives the main character a new perspective.

Director’s statement
This film is my debut as a professional filmmaker, my first serious film as a solo director, and my most personal project by far. I wish to challenge myself to go deeper into my own psyche, and use my own perspective more directly in the storytelling.

My goal is that the audience will feel or relate to the inner tenseness that I constantly live with. Inner tension is something everyone experiences, but for some it’s a more debilitating part of day-to-day life than for others. Before I got my ADHD-diagnosis at the age of 22, I assumed that my extreme tension was normal, but after learning it’s not, it’s been extremely hard to describe it in words. The feeling has always been visual and moving in my head, and I think getting this out in a medium that can be observed will not only be satisfying to me but also useful to others.