Filmmaker Paris Baillie weaves a creative yet delicate narrative that speaks volumes without uttering a word. She has titled this short animation film Humantis. This is an experimental stop-motion short that premiered at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival and is still enjoying its festival run.

It is easy to describe this film as experimental because of its unusualness. It doesn’t attempt to be anything other than creative and progressive. And through it all, it still manages to carry a powerful message within its layers.

The narrative is set mystical world inhabited by creatures called Humantises. We see them as praying mantis-orchid hybrids that seem to serve as a reflection of societal conformity. In the film we see one particular Humantis beginning to change color. It finds itself in a crisis of identity and belonging. The uniformity of society is disturbed by this change and this particular creature is rather shunned and not embraced by the others. You see and feel the isolation and neglect that this Humantis is experiencing.

You are reminded that this is something deeply familiar. We’ve all felt the sting of being different, of standing out in ways we didn’t ask for. Paris Baillie captures that emotion with such gentle precision, allowing the viewer to sit in the discomfort and the quiet longing for acceptance. The transformation itself becomes a mirror, reflecting our fears about growth and visibility in a world that often rewards conformity.

Paris Baillie is a one-woman band in this 9-minute film. She is not only the writer and director. She is also the cinematographer, editor and composer. The craftsmanship in this film shows how intentional she was about making it and telling this story in this unusual way. The world-building is well executed and immerses you into this fictional and mythical world of the Humantises. The stop-motion animation is mesmerizing, full of texture and subtle movement that makes every frame feel alive. And in a bold yet effective choice, the film is entirely without dialogue. Sound and music become their language, guiding the emotional rhythm of the story and adding an almost trance-like feel to it.

Humantis is a reminder that storytelling doesn’t always need to be spoken but sometimes, feeling it is more than enough. You can tell that the film was made with some intentionality and the result is a work that feels deeply personal and cohesive. The narrative is not just about a creature discovering its own beauty in difference it is also about the courage it takes to grow when everything around you insists you stay the same.

This is a perfect introduction to Paris Baillie’s voice as a filmmaker who understands how to be poetic and profound using visual storytelling. I hope we continue to hear more from her, whether through silence or sound.