On The Surface

    Ada, a young Black woman, goes swimming in the Icelandic sea and reflects on her experience of having a baby in a country that feels nothing like home. As she enters the freezing water, she relives her traumatic pregnancy and postnatal depression. She tries to find ease and healing by facing her fears in the wild.

    Topics Covered
    Perinatal Depression and/or Anxiety, Racism
    Content Heads Up
    Representation
    Black, Woman / female, Adult, Parent
    Film Style
    Animation
    Festivals & Awards bg

    Festivals & Awards

    Wreath
    Sao Paulo International Short Film Festival

    Official Selection

    2022

    Wreath
    Nova Frontier Film Festival

    Official Selection

    2022

    Wreath
    Almagro International Film Festival

    Official Selection

    2022

    Filmmaker

    Fan Sissoko

    Fan Sissoko is a French-Malian artist and filmmaker based in Reykjavik. Her work explores migration, motherhood and neurodiversity. Her animated short ‘On The Surface’ screened at more than 50 festivals internationally, including Clermont Ferrand ISFF (France 2022) where it received a Special Mention.

    More Films like this

    About Racism
    A white bowl filled with a reddish-orange liquid, likely a soup or sauce, sits on a wooden surface, with a hand holding a knife cutting into the contents of the bowl.
    Animation