Swedish filmmaker Anna Mantzaris works in stop motion, a medium she embraced for its tactile and expressive qualities after initially training in 2D animation. Her practice combines drawing, sculpting, and filmmaking, allowing her to build entire worlds by hand while exploring nuanced emotional and social themes. Her films are rooted in observation, often focusing on the awkwardness, vulnerability, and contradictions of human behavior.

With a distinct sense of dry, understated humor, Mantzaris blends lightness and darkness to create stories that feel both relatable and slightly unsettling. In this interview, she discusses her creative process, from developing ideas through visual exploration rather than scripts, to navigating the realities of international co-productions and sustaining a career through both commissioned and independent work.