ONE WEEK ABOUT Kaboom Animation Festival
The annual Kaboom Animation Festival – from 13 to 22 March in Utrecht, Amsterdam and online – presents the latest, most creative, innovative and daring national and international animation productions with the theme ‘Human Touch’. Over the coming days, we will be showcasing a number of the Dutch participants, today Marlyn Spaaij.
Trouble in Mind
Lucille, a 14-year-old alligator, finally gets to spend the summer with her estranged father Bill, a blues guitarist. She joins him and his band on tour to help as a roadie and looks forward to spending time with him. She hopes playing the guitar together and learning to play his hit-song: Cold Blooded Woman will help build a better relationship. On stage Bill is charming, but getting close to Bill is not what she expected as she discovers the true meaning behind his music.
Directors Statement
Trouble in Mind marks my debut as a director. It’s a personal film in every sense. From the story to the artwork, the music, and the final cut: I poured my heart into this film and I’m excited to share the result.
The story is inspired by my own personal experience of having to break off contact with a parent at the age of 14. A decision like that is, for many people, hard to understand. And often seen as selfish: they are your parents after all. But sometimes, out of self-preservation, it is necessary to grow and move forward in life. It’s a painful realisation that a parent isn’t fit for parenthood, and that they won’t change. Luckily growing up means you can shape your own path. And choose your own family.
I also wrote the music for this film. The song Cold Blooded Woman is inspired by a well-known theme in blues: victimhood and misogyny. When you really listen to a song carefully you sometimes discover the lyrics, though previously infectious, are actually normalising violence against women. As a contrast to Bills song, I wrote my own version of the old blues standard Trouble in Mind. It’s a song that deals with a deep sadness, pain, and hope. This song became the core of Lucille’s development as a character: life can be bittersweet. But that sun will shine, someday.
