Creatures of Chaos directed by Asavari Kumar

The production began with ceramic figurines sculpted by Kumar at her local pottery studio, which became emotional blueprints for characters representing different psychological challenges. Originally conceived as an augmented reality project, the production evolved into a distinctive collage animation style that better captured the surreal, fragmented nature of internal chaos.

"We experimented extensively with animation techniques to find the right visual vocabulary," says Kumar. "The characters needed to exist in a fragmented yet recognizable world, and a mix of digital collage and 2D allowed us to layer textures and forms to create a unique style.

" Drawing inspiration from conversations about mental health dismissal in South Asian communities, Kumar and co-writer Shaivalini Kumar created the work amid observations of heightened collective anxiety following the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring universal emotional struggles across cultural boundaries.

The dialogue-free film relies entirely on visual storytelling, with intricate sound design by Wesley Slover of Sanctus creating an immersive audio landscape. The international collaboration features art direction by Shaivalini Kumar, character animation by Katherine Dallimore, design and animation color by Lissette Diaz, compositing by Filipe Consoni, and music and sound design by Sanctus. The film was produced by Asavari Kumar and Siddharth Zutshi.

"Creatures of Chaos" ultimately celebrates empathy and the transformative power of shared vulnerability, portraying the messy, nonlinear process of healing and human connection in a world that rarely makes space for vulnerability.