'A waterborne disease is going around town, a disease that slowly morphs you into an octopus. This society hates octopus - they are distasteful and symbolise poverty, vulgarity, despair. The world needs to be screened from such unsightly reminders of the underclass. Those unfortunate (and poor) enough to drink the water have two choices; if they can afford the slime/tentacle removal treatment/medication they can carry on with their daily lives, accepted and allowed. Those that can’t must find another way - whether that’s crudely cutting off and selling their tentacle limbs to the market (there’s always someone willing to buy), going without food in order to afford the medication, or, ultimately, hiding their octopus loved ones in tanks to avoid the taunts of the world. Once fully formed, the only option is to give themselves away to the ocean, where they’re likely to be caught, sold and eaten by the rich at the local fish market.'
CREDITS
Writer, director, model maker & animator : Edie Lawrence
Producers: Milly Riley and Claire Stubbs
'The name of the film, ‘Autophagy’, is derived from the Ancient Greek for ‘self- eating’ / ‘self-cannibalism’. When Octopi are in stressful environments, they partake in Autophagy and eat their own arms. The film is mostly inspired by poverty and greed; how the rich will metaphorically eat the poor and how, the majority of the time, people become criminals not because they’re bad people, but because it’s the only way to get by. Autophagy is a metaphor for the stress and relentless cycle of poverty, suffering and lack of choice.'