“A visual poem about the alienation of postpartum. The body, relinquished to another life, morphs into something new and unknown: a chimera, a demon. With simple means, extraordinary images tell an all-too-common tale of isolation and sleep deprivation in the name of motherhood. Narrated in the filmmaker’s native endangered language, Western Armenian.”
DOMESTIC DEMON
Ընտանեկան Հարաման
A housebound mother's hunger for agency and control among the mutating textures and temporalities of her home sets off an uncanny transformation. Shadow and silhouette capture the surreal ways in which time spent dutifully in the home changes us as we dare to ask, “how can I still be free?” A portrait of matrescence and post-partum depression in the time of pandemic lockdown.
“Using a minimalist approach, American filmmaker Anahid Yahjian creates a very strange diary whose visual vocabulary borders on horror. Through a succession of superb static shots, Domestic Demon never offers an overview and primarily explores the feelings of its protagonist. Shadows, silhouettes, and seemingly insignificant domestic details allow us to share an unspoken unease in this minimalist short film, which is nonetheless rich in narrative resources.”