UMBILICAL

Danski Tang

An animated documentary exploring how my mother’s abusive relationship with my father shaped my own experiences in a boarding school as a child in China. The societal pressures on my mother to hide her abuse and her desire to protect me ultimately created a situation where I was subjected to the same societal pressures. Our shared desires for intimacy, safety, and normalcy have been constantly at odds with the realities that surround us. Through a conversation as adults, my mother and I learn to understand each other and support one another.

An exploration of abuse, sexuality, and motherhood, UMBILICAL is a moving film that encourages us all to share our deepest truths. Dark and strange, the animation of this film mirrors the conversation between mother and daughter and I appreciate the bravery of Danski Tang sharing her deeply personal story with the world. — Jillian C (Programmer)

DETAILS

TAGS

Animation, Documentary, Experimental

DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY

Originally from China, Danski Tang is an animator and artist now based in Los Angeles.

Specializing in 2D hand-drawn animation, interdisciplinary art, and alternative documentary, Danski uses animation as a means to investigate themes of gender, sexuality, cultural indoctrination, and body politics. Her work has been shown in numerous international film festivals such as MoMA Doc Fortnight, Melbourne International Film Festival, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Annecy International Animated Film Festival, and many more. Her latest film UMBILICAL won the Pardino d'argento (Silver Leopard) SRG SSR at the International Competition at the 72 Locarno Film Festival, the Eileen Maitland Award at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, the Best Animated Short at the San Diego Asian Film Festival 2019, the Honorable Mention for Documentary Short at Slamdance 2020, and the Best Short Documentary at DOXA Documentary Film Festival 2020.

Her recent commissions include a campaign short for the United Nation Women’s HeForShe project, animations for Google Lens Project Witness and opening animations for HBO’s Random Acts of Flyness.

Danski holds an MFA in Experimental Animation from California Institute of the Arts and a BFA in animation from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art.