Is it possible to shape a lump of modelling clay into something touching? For Izabela Plucińska, this question does not arise. When she first came across the material, she knew that she wanted to use it to tell her stories. In her work, she makes just as virtuoso use of modelling clay in a bas-relief animation as she does for her lovingly designed figures, to which she lends a very special character through the softness of the material.

Having grown up in Poland, Izabela Plucińska studied in a double degree programme in Lodz and later at the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. Her graduation film there, ‘Jam Session’, was a winner at the Berlinale, among other festivals. She now lives and works in Berlin and continues to produce unique clay animations with her company ClayTraces which are often based on short stories or plays. She usually picks small, every-day, and very human experiences, which she then presents with a touch of whimsicality in a poetic and, above all, intense way.

In this programme, Isabella Plucińska will give an insight into her work, present her own films as well as films that have inspired her – and talk about her fascination with modelling clay, of course.