A film that you need to avoid trying to analyse too strictly, for Animalia Paradoxa is off on its own glorious unique world. Broaching themes of classism poignantly, Niles Atallah’s film is experimental cinema at its best.
A strange creature, Animalia, roams an abandoned building. Dressed in rags and a gas mask, she moves like an alien dancer, crawling and stretching across concrete and plastic waste. She collects and fills empty bottles for a modest bath.
Animalia Paradoxa is a masterclass in world-building, a film that leaves you spellbound as it immerses you into the life of Animalia. Niles Atallah has absolutely zero interest in explaining the characters or this world to us. We are here as observers, and any questions you have may as well be for the dust-filled wind. We have been plonked into this future and have to embrace it, and the film is all the stronger for refusing to explain what happened and who these creatures are.
Trying to find the reason for each inclusion in this film is folly; there is nothing to gain from doing so; you have to let Atallah’s film wash over you. The plot is as loose as it gets: a creature travelling around trying to survive in a world that has long been lost. It moves from live-action to stop-motion animation because it just fancied doing it. This eventually leads us to documentary cutaways of destruction before returning to Animalia in black-and-white avant-garde footage. It’s bizarre yet arresting. You can only be impressed with what
As inventive and weirdly wonderful Animalia Paradoxa is, it simply would not work if it were not for Andrea Gómez. Her performance is entrancing, and the way she utilises her body for movement is astounding. Once your brain catches on, you are watching a human perform; it is breathtaking. Her ability to keep us unsure of what she is sticks with you. She is a humanoid, but you are never fully certain between the general movements and the little quirks she chooses to do with her character. Could she be an amphibian who has evolved into a human? Hell, could she even be a fish who has done the same? We just don’t know, but we cannot keep our eyes off her.
Despite the fantastic oddness of the world we are immersed in for the 83 minutes of Animalia Paradoxa, Atallah’s multi-disciplinary film is underpinned by a clear thematic thread. The issues of classism and capitalism are woven throughout the film , mirroring our own society. As Animalia travels around just to find the water to satiate her body, she is constantly struggling. Even in these dire times, humanity, or what it has morphed into, doesn’t change, which is as disheartening as it is expected.
When Animalia meets with the large humanoid, you become upset with her as this ugly thing mocks her. This scene highlights the brilliant work from the costuming to the art direction conjured up here (apologies, I couldn’t readily find the people who worked on this aspect). Instead of using a mask, a sheet connected to screens protects the viewer and Animalia from seeing this thing’s face. This novel concept adds a layer of intrigue and discomfort, enhancing the film’s impact.
The concept of conserving the rubble of what has been lost is also an interesting thread that gets touched upon here. Animalia is continually scavenging, be it for the film to watch or for other tokens, yet everyone (or thing) around her is hell-bent on either destroying their “civilisation” or controlling access to it. It’s disturbing, but not a million years from what we have been experiencing lately. We can either try to keep going, preserving what we can, or we can let it all go up in flames.
Some will struggle with the film’s uniqueness and lack of explanation, and that would be a fair critique. But if you allow yourself to get immersed into what you see on the screen, then the film becomes a terrific reward. I can’t quite say I have seen many films like Animalia Paradoxa, so thank goodness we got it. Atallah has crafted something quite special here in this experimental piece of cinema.
★★★★
For more of our coverage of Fantasia Festival 2024 please check out our reviews below:
Hell is a Teenage Girl (Short)
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