@nobody is a young girl who cams on social media through the avatar of an anime doll. But the girl underneath the colorful costumes is scared to leave her apartment and unable to maintain meaningful relationships. Struggling to connect with her distant mother and open up to her dearest client, she must choose an identity.
Year of production 2023 Length 14' Country Portugal Shooting FormatDigital Aspect Ratio2.39:1 Dialogue English, Portuguese Director Marcela Jacobina Producer Justin Amorim Production Promenade Screenwriters Marcela Jacobina, Francisco Mira Godinho Cinematographer Ana Mariz Sound Director Alexandre Franco Editor Miguel Ângelo dos Santos Art Director Bruna Boavida Color Correction Rita Lamas Visual Effects Adriana Ventura Design Francisco Valle Cast Marcela Jacobina, Carloto Cotta
Director's Statement As a young latina born in 1991, my 30 years spent between Brazil and the USA introduced me to many (unrealistic) narratives about what women are supposed to look, feel and sound like. NOBODY was born from an attempt to question these stories that so dramatically shape our process of self-invention, especially as we step into adulthood. The more we reach towards these representations, the further away we get from ourselves, our bodies, and therefore our ability to make genuine human connections, especially with other women, who are in turn chasing the same impossible images. In a world that seems too complex and daunting to bear, @nobody locks herself at home and works as a camgirl, hiding behind her computer screen, colorful wig, childlike voice and anime filters. She speaks a language that isn’t her own, portraying a character that was in fact created for her by the very men she believes to have power over. The movie shows a week in her life, when she begins to understand that the only power she might actually have can only lie in being her imperfect self. @nobody’s journey is that of a woman who sees herself as an object and slowly reconnects to her humanity. That is very evident in the language of the movie, which very intentionally presents the female body as a faceless object, to then reveal the whole subject only towards the end. By focusing on a character who is playing another character, I wanted to present identity as fiction — a story that is told about ourselves TO ourselves — and propose femininity, as it is sold to us in the media and in society, as an impossible image, a moving target, whose pursuit drives us further and further away from our own bodies, our connection to ourselves to others. Finally, it was a big priority for myself and our producer that our crew consisted of as many women as possible. From our incredible cinematographer Ana Mariz to the assistant director, production managers, set designer, focus puller, colorist, vfx, and more, this was truly a film made by women for women.
