Salvation Has No Name is a unique animated film which explores themes of xenophobia and the refugee crisis.
A troupe of circus performers come together to tell a cinematic folktale of a desperate refugee, a dishonourable priest and a contemptuous village. When the refugee rejects her fate, the performers are forced to question the morality of their tale.
Working on the short since 2013, Joseph Wallace´s piece is inspired by live action cinema of the kind of Antoninoni and Buñuel, amongs others; the aesthetic is based on oceanic sculpture and african art. Working in Aardman Animation, the team includes Tim Allen and Jody Meredith, among their crew. The project was the winner of the Visegrad Animation Forum pitching competition in 2017.
“The ideas came from reading about the refugee crisis, about the displacement of people from Syria and North Africa. We’re playing with the conceit of a story within a story and so there’s a commentary on storytelling, unreliability of narrator and who has the right to tell someone else’s story. So there’s a real drama there but it’s also ultimately a tale of hope.”, the animator said on an interview to zippyframes this april.
A BAFTA Cymru nominated animation director, his short films have also received VIMEO staff picks.
Wallace´s short film has just closed its kickstarter crowfunding campaign, exceeding the goal. Now it´s just a matter of time for us to see it.
