Het Verhaal van Donker
The story of Dark (original: Het verhaal van Donker) is a short movie about Dark and his fear of Night; a visual bed-time story where you get to know darkness in a new way.
Because of our light-filled-life we like to live around the safety of light and seem to not spend to many attention to what darkness has to offer. The dark symbolizes the world of the unknown. By facing the unknown and confronting fears we learn about our emotions and about where they are actually coming from. That leads us to acknowledging who we are as a person.
Sometimes you just have to dip your toe into the unknown..
Story
The story of Dark is designed specifically for kids, a group where fear of Darkness is a big, serious matter in life. The story comes to life through stop-motion techniques; by mixing motion and narration the story unravels as an ode to character Dark. During the movie the viewer is invited to get to know the beautiful sides of Dark and will Dark set on a journey to find his self-worth. The Story of Dark is about conquering fears, growing self-respect and being able to be proud of who you are; sometimes you have to step into dark to find your way back.
Character
The movie is shaped around character Dark. Dark has never felt comfortable around darkness. He feels he has a bad influence on people and feels ashamed of the fear and discomfort he brings. Dark isn’t aware of the possible beautiful sides of his personality and has been a little jealous on Light his entire life, jealous on her beauty and her strength.
With this movie I’d like to open the conversation between kids, parents and/or teachers about the theme Darkness. By translating the abstract subject into a character where kids can step into its shoes, and by giving the character human-like emotions/insecurities, the movie builds a bridge towards the perception of kids.
Behind the Scenes
The sets, characters and designs are all created by hand by yours truly. I got to know the aspect crafting/setdesign during my internship at Studio Mals and wanted to explore this field during my graduation-project. Everything you see on screen is either handpicked, adjusted or handmade.
Teaser
The movie isn’t finished yet and will be completed during the months to come. Curious? Have a little sneak peek below…