Doreen Mwirigi is a humanist, storyteller, and animator from Kenya, currently based in Finland. She uses animation as a powerful medium to depict and reflect on society while advocating for positive social change. Her work is deeply rooted in intersectional feminism, aiming to spark empathy and reflection on societal issues.
Doreen brings her movie Paula’s House to the festival. Paula’s House is an animated short that stands as an act of activism, focusing on the experiences of the queer Kenyan community in their struggle for societal acceptance and safety. The artistic language of Paula’s House is what Doreen calls “vocalized textures,” a unique film language she invented to convey deeply personal and weighty themes. This approach was developed as a response to navigating censorship in Kenya, where queer visual storytelling — particularly in animation by queer directors — remains rare. Paula’s House is a blend of 2D digital and analog techniques, including paint and soft clay on glass animation.
Curators’ Comments: “In a short span of time, Doreen’s beautiful animation reaches surprisingly deep into a transgender person’s journey toward becoming their true self. The films fuzzy visual style softly conveys an important societal message.”
