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Sarina Nihei: Because they love hats. You can't judge people's personalities by their hats.
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Yes and no—you can feel whatever you like. The story is based on ideas of despair and absurdity in a society. People are killed for irrational reasons, which always makes me feel despair. But when it comes to filmmaking, I make much of it entertaining and don't want to make it too serious. That's how the story ended up.What do the numbers mean?
They are their code.There are many mysteries hidden within your film. Is it possible to unpack everything by re-watching, or did you intend to keep some things ambiguous or unsolvable?
It's OK for me if there are people hate my film or love my film. So I won't give you the answer.OK, that's fair. So how did you develop this story?
This is a long story. I tried to make it funny and entertaining, but the story is based on absurdity and the despair of society, so I developed the story by those principles.Your first-year film Trifling Habits seems to take place in the same world, at least aesthetically, as Small People With Hats. What does this world mean to you? Is it a place you'll revisit in future films?
I always enjoy drawing rather than sitting in front of the computer all day. And the texture of acrylic color can never be imitated by a digital technique. So I'll keep on doing my hand-drawn style. In terms of the character design, I try not to make them look happy. I just don't like happy-looking characters for some reason.
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How long did it take you to create this animation? Did you draw and paint it all by hand? How many drawings is the film in total?On Munchies: In Jiufen, You Can Eat Your Way Through a Miyazaki Film
Actual production was about eight months including animating, painting, editing, and sound. I didn't count the frames I drew, but I left them in a friend's house because I couldn't get them back to Japan because they were too heavy.What are you working on next?
I've just started making the next film now. Looking for a producer.Check out more of Sarina's work at her website.Jeffrey Bowers is a tall mustached guy from Ohio who's seen too many weird movies. He currently lives in Brooklyn, working as the senior curator for Vimeo's On Demand platform. He has also programmed at Tribeca Film Festival, Rooftop Films, and the Hamptons International Film Festival. Follow him on Twitter.