^{Credit: God Is Shy (MUBI)}

In God Is Shy, friends Ariel and Paul find themselves on a train discussing their greatest fears. When a mysterious stranger approaches them, fears that once seemed irrational become more literal. Director Jocelyn Charles' short film asks heavy questions about our existence, although the answers may be more horrifying than what our minds can comprehend. God Is Shy has won several awards, including the Hong Kong International Film Festival's Oscar-qualifying Golden Firebird. Most recently, God Is Shy won the Jury Award and Audience Award at Annecy. Cartoon Contender spoke with Charles about his festival run, visual inspirations, and secrets that are only for him to know. 

Q: The visuals in God Is Shy call Japanese animation to mind. I read that Akira Toriyama's manga Dr. Slump was an inspiration. Why is it about this style that you think suited your story? 

JC: Yes, Doctor Slump was definitely an inspiration. I would say it was mostly unconscious, simply because I grew up reading a huge amount of manga, especially Akira Toriyama's work. That is how I built my idea of entertainment: using humor to tell a story, playing with the conventions of comedy, and embracing the way manga can suddenly shift from taking itself completely seriously to instantly becoming self-aware and playful. I think that is where the influence comes from. Perhaps the oversized heads also contribute to that slightly offbeat, comedic feeling in the characters' proportions.

Q: I can also see echoes of Scavengers Reign and I Lost My Body in the film, which isn't surprising since you worked on both. How did your past work prepare you to make God Is Shy?

JC: I worked a little on Scavengers in 3D, mainly doing some animation. On I Lost My Body, I worked on character designs, although they were more realistic than what I usually create. I think there is always a bit of influence from my previous projects. I would probably have mentioned my music videos first, such as the one I directed for The Weeknd, which explores many horror themes, or the one for L'Impératrice. But now that you mention these two references, I realize that, more generally, Joe Bennett, the creator of Scavengers, has been a huge source of inspiration in terms of character writing, absurdity, the offbeat nature of the characters' personalities, and the feeling that you're almost watching live action rather than animation. As for Jérémy Clapin, I think he is also deeply inspired by live-action cinema. He enjoys writing long dialogue scenes, encouraging improvisation, and experimenting with staging.

Q: The eyes, in particular, stand out, providing a window into the characters' souls and their madness. How did you get the look of the eyes down? 

JC: Yes, I really wanted to focus on the eyes, often through close-ups, and push the precision of the eye animation because that is where so much life can be found. The eyes reveal a person's personality more than anything else, and in animation, the challenge is to give characters a soul and a sense of existence when, at the end of the day, they are only drawings. It was very important to me to capture the subtle movements of the eyes, the tiny flickers, the reflections of tears gathering along the lower eyelid, and all those little details. To achieve that, I often filmed myself, simply recording my own eyes to use as reference.

Q: There's a dreamlike sentiment throughout God Is Shy. Is it at all based on a dream - or nightmare - you had? 

JC: No, it wasn't based on a nightmare or a dream I personally had. What I enjoy is creating the feeling that we are inside a dream, where reality is constantly disrupted by the fantastic. That may once again come from unconscious influences, such as the films of David Lynch or the work of Satoshi Kon, both of whom love to blur that boundary. More generally, I have always been fascinated by the unconscious. I have also discovered what is often called cosmic horror, and I find it to be an incredibly effective way of conveying unsettling and frightening emotions.

Q: God Is Shy has won several awards, including the Golden Firebird at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, which I believe is an Oscar-qualifying prize. What have some other highlights been from your festival run? 

JC: Yes, I am incredibly happy. The film has won many awards. I haven't kept count, but I believe it's over forty now, which is amazing. Unfortunately, I couldn't attend every festival, and I really regret that because festivals are wonderful opportunities to travel and meet inspiring people. One of my favorite memories is the New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival, which takes place inside an airport in Hokkaido. That festival was especially meaningful to me because it was my first time in Japan. As you know, Japanese animation and Japanese art in general have been a huge source of inspiration for me. I was also fortunate enough to receive both the Audience Award and the Grand Prize. I believe it was the first time anyone had ever won both awards in the festival's history, so I was truly, deeply honored. I also met some wonderful people there.

Q: There's a point toward the end of the film where someone learns a secret of the universe, although we're kept in the dark. Do you know what this character heard? 

JC: Haha, I obviously can't reveal what he heard. It's already enough of a burden for me to live every day knowing the absolutely terrifying answer he was given, so I would never share it with anyone. More seriously, one of the oldest tricks in horror is to avoid showing the monster and instead let the audience imagine what might be lurking in the darkness. It's the same idea here. I like the fact that we only hear footsteps, because it allows everyone to imagine absolutely anything.

God Is Shy is currently available to watch on MUBI. 

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!