Feelings: An invitation to look inside

posted by Robyn Pitts March 28, 2023

Feelings: An invitation to look inside is an evocative and heartfelt animated masterpiece crafted by State – a global Creative Studio with an unrestrained passion for heartfelt ideas, unique experiences, and sleek design. The film, which was created for the main titles of Offf Festival 2023 in Barcelona, delves into the intricate depths of existence, and explores the immense weight of emotions and the profound impact they have on our lives. Starting from a concept from Stanislav Grof’s theory, the Perinatal Matrices are based on clinical observations of experiences of expanded states of consciousness.

Featuring an priginal score and sound design by Zelig, and directed by Marcel Ziul, through candid and thought-provoking storytelling, Feelings invites the viewer to delve into the complexity of their own feelings. With poignant times of sensitivity and self-reflection, the animation offers powerful moments of introspection, revealing the universal struggles of love, loss, happiness, loneliness, rejection, joy, and the search for purpose.

This piece captures two aspects connected to each other: the reliving of biological birth and psycho-spiritual rebirth. The matrices are archetypes, that is, they are not determined by biological memory, but rather, they are part of the collective unconscious. In general, matrices are experiential patterns, worlds with specific parameters and unique characteristics. They define the way in which a person sees themselves, the world, and everything that exists. Therefore, we are always under the influence of some matrix, in some situation, throughout our existence.

Naivety, Antagonism, Synergism and Separation, and Freedom are the four phases we go through. During these phases we form seeds of all of the emotions we’ll develop later in life. These matrices are the foundation of State’s film project, which they use as a path to guide the audience through the visual narrative. State use design as a form to visually represent the differences between the matrices – it’s a visual journey that evolves with each matrix.

Unapologetic and bold, Feelings is a must-watch for anyone who has ever felt the crushing weight of their emotions, and seeks to rise above them. This film is a testament to the transformative power of openness and a reminder that our true strength lies in facing our innermost fears and confronting our vulnerabilities.

As part of Offf Festival, State also launched an amazing rebrand which comes from a collaboration of Vasava and Héctor Ayuso. In addition to this, State and Héctor also worked together to create a book that was given to all attendees which looked at the topic of feelings and mental issues in the creative community – the same issues State focused on in the main titles.