Affairs of the Art

Joanna Quinn, Les Mills

IndieLisboa 2021 •

United Kingdom, Animation, 2021, 16′

Joanna Quinn’s idiosyncratic and funny style recovers the character Beryl to explore her eccentric family – Colin, the geek son; Ifor, her husband, who became Beryl’s model and inspiration; and the narcissistic sister Beverly –, and the various obsessions that plague them.


Hilarious and a little grotesque. This is the world that Joanna Quinn draws which is inhabited by an eccentric family, headed by Beryl, a recurring character of the director’s. This proletarian heroine dreams of being an artist, something that is underlined by her drawing obsession. But the rest of the family — consisting of her son Colin, her husband Ifor, and her sister Beverly — have their obsessions too, from screw collecting to taxidermy. Perfectly normal. (Ana Cabral Martins)

Director's Bio

Joanna Quinn is one of Britain’s most distinctive animators. The politics of gender and oppression, along with Joanna’s obsessive fascination and delight with exploring the eccentricities of the female body, remain the central themes of Joanna and her writing and producing partner’s, Les Mills, work together. Joanna’s dynamic, fluid style makes her animation vibrant, energetic and unique. Her films have won just about every major international award, including BAFTAs and Emmys, in addition to receiving two Oscar® nominations.