This interview with Lithuanian animation director Urtė Oettinger offers an intimate look at an artist shaped by painting, material craft and a lifelong certainty that she needed to make things rather than simply study them. She describes discovering animation through dissatisfaction with the still image, and speaks about early fascinations with Soviet era animation, Cartoon Network, painted animation and the tactile presence of filmmakers such as Jan Švankmajer. For Oettinger, animation became the form that could unite storytelling, visual art and visible human touch.

A major thread in the conversation is the creative process itself. Oettinger speaks vividly about the thrill of starting a film, the grind of finishing it, and the need to stay committed through repetition, uncertainty and fatigue. She reflects on years of working alone, on the meditative experience of handmade creation, and on the practical routines that now shape her work in series production. At the same time, she highlights the importance of collaboration, describing the animator director relationship as a kind of dance and recognizing how much other artists bring to her characters, worlds and timing.

The interview also reveals the values underpinning her storytelling. Oettinger returns repeatedly to everyday life, simple human problems, and the small emotional truths that shape who people are. She speaks about making work for children that does not rely on external magic, but instead affirms that sadness, boredom, confusion and mistakes are natural parts of life. Her reflections on criticism, self doubt, cultural expectations, screen use, and the move from darker influences toward gentler storytelling create a portrait of an artist who remains playful, self-questioning and deeply committed to meaningful animation for young audiences.