Director: Yuliya Lanina

Film: Always and Forever

Bio: When the pandemic hit, my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Separated by 1000 miles and unable to visit him, I kept myself sane by painting small pieces which I would mail to health care workers. Always and Forever grew out of these paintings. In animated form, they give testimony to my subconscious mind’s effort to process his impending death, the distance between us, and feeling powerless. As the characters in a masked ball of Life flash across the screen, my furry black alter ego must decide if it’s safe to follow the high-heeled spider into another dimension – will it hurt or heal?