Kira Dane and Katelyn Rebelo’s documentary short Mizuko (Water Child) provides a comforting way to grieve after having an abortion. This extraordinary animation has received prestigious awards including Special Jury Recognition for Short Documentary Competition at SXSW Film Festival 2020 and Special Jury Mention for Short Documentary Competition at IDFA 2019. Water Child (Mizuko) will be screening online as part of Palm Springs International ShortFest.
Synopsis: Inspired by a Buddhist ritual to grieve abortions, a Japanese-American woman reevaluates what it means to end her own pregnancy.
Co-Director and writer Kira Dane is a half-Japanese filmmaker from New York who is currently based in Nara, Japan. Having been shaped by two extremely different cultures, Kira is most interested in telling stories that dig for nuance in the overlooked corners of topics. In 2019 she was named a fellow of the Sundance Ignite Program and is an active member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective. Dane co-directed the short animated documentary Mizuko, which was supported by Tribeca Institute’s If/Then Short Documentary Program and also supported with a Sundance Ignite Fellow’s grant from Sundance Institute.
Inspired by a Buddhist ritual for grieving abortions, a Japanese-American woman reevaluates what it means to end her own pregnancy.
Co-director Katelyn Rebelo is a filmmaker based in Brooklyn. Katelyn holds a BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts with a major in Film & Television and a minor in Social & Cultural Analysis. Her work sits at the intersection of documentary & experimental film, often exploring stories that reimagine concepts of femininity, politics, and personal freedom. She co-directed, animated, and shot Mizuko and is currently the Spring 2020 Womxn Filmmaker Fellow at Jacob Burns Film Center.
Mizuko has already screened at 5 high-profile film festivals including SXSW Film Festival 2020 and Atlanta Film Festival 2020. It screened online as part of the Champs Elysées Film Festival in June.
Directed by Kira Dane & Katelyn Rebelo; written by Kira Dane; director of photography: Katelyn Rebelo; edited by Kira Dane & Katelyn Rebelo; watercolor animation by Kira Dane, Joyce Zhao, Melissa Garvin, assistant, Zoya to stop motion animation by Katelyn Rebelo; Music by Midori Hirano; associate producer: Gretta Wilson, supervising producers: Mridu Chandra, Caitlin Mae Burke, & Chloe Gbai
Festival Run and Awards
- SXSW Official Selection 2020 | Competition for Short Documentary | Special Jury Recognition
- Atlanta Film Festival Official Selection 2020 | Best Short Documentary
- IDFA Official Selection 2019 | Competition for Short Documentary | Special Jury Mention
- AFI DOCS Official Selection 2020
- New Orleans Film Festival Official Selection 2020
- DMZ Docs Official Selection 2020 | Asia Development Foundation Award
- Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival Official Selection 2020
- DOCNYC Official Selection 2020
- Palm Springs Shortfest Official Selection 2020
- Docaviv Film Festival Official Selection 2020
- Odense Film Festival Official Selection 2020
- Champs-Élysées Film Festival Official Selection 2020
- GLAS Animation Festival 2020 | US Competition | Special Jury Mention
- ACT Human Rights Film Festival Official Selection 2020
- NFFTY Official Selection 2020
- Seoul International Women’s Film Festival Official Selection 2020
- Woodstock Film Festival Official Selection 2020
- Nevertheless Film Festival Official Selection 2020
- Nashville Film Festival Official Selection 2020
- Denver Film Festival Official Selection 2020
- Philadelphia Film Festival Official Selection 2020
- El Paso Film Festival Official Selection 2020
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