Talking to... Lea Favre

You received an award in Stuttgart. How did you come up with the idea for your film?

My short film is a documentary project and tells a story that I actually experienced, with a few minor details changed for dramatic effect. It started out as an adventure... which turned into a misadventure. But I quickly realized that it had all the makings of a real film script, and that I could turn it into something powerful. I am incredibly grateful and touched to have won this award, because it shows that my story resonates beyond my personal experience and speaks to people I have never met. And that is the greatest victory of all.

What fascinates you about animation? Was there a key event which encouraged you to pursue animation professionally?

What fascinates me about animation is the world of possibilities. You can show things that you couldn't see otherwise, you can personify your feelings. I love the childlike quality it immediately evokes and imagining how you can have fun with it. I like that it takes years, that every element is deliberately chosen, and that there’s beauty in the imperfections that come through anyway.

What encouraged me to try animation professionally was my experience with Claude Barras' film SAUVAGES, where I had the opportunity to do an internship back in 2023. For nine months, I observed every step of the construction of this enormous stop-motion project. Every day, I had stars in my eyes, so when the filming ended, I had to find a way to keep it going!

Are there any techniques you would like to try?

In animation, I am very curious about cut-out animation and would love to imagine a story using this technique. Otherwise, as a recent graduate of the ÉCAL, which is a live-action school, I am still very attached to this technique and to the documentary genre. I like filming the people around me myself—even if it's not perfect—and finding ways to turn them into film characters. In the future, I would love to be able to move between live action and animation.

What animated film did you love when you were a child?

When I was younger, I loved THE ARISTOCATS and RATATOUILLE, but my favourite animated film came more recently: when MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI was released in theatres and I had the chance to see it. I think it is a beautiful film in every way, and it never fails to move me. I think it is my favourite film of all the ones I have seen so far.

What project are you currently working on?

Right now, I am lucky enough to be working part-time as a production assistant at Hélium Films, a fantastic animation company in Lausanne. I have a few short film projects in mind that I am trying to develop alongside this work, but everything is still up in the air. One thing is certain: I want to keep telling stories in my own way—romanticizing, of course, the funny things that have happened to me.

Which foreign production would you like to work with one day?

It doesn't really matter, as long as the people are nice and we manage to communicate well. :-)

What is your hidden talent that few people know about?

I am crazy about sewing and knitting. I love making my own clothes, choosing everything from A to Z, starting with the fabric I find in thrift stores. And also, I don't know if it's a talent or a gift (or something else), but ever since I was little, I have been finding four-leaf clovers everywhere. All the time.