The 2D animated short Cymebelle (Oo, 2024) is a haunting psychological mystery set in a remote village where a grieving widow clings to her lifeless child. The title, derived from “cell,” “enzyme,” and “belle” for a beautiful woman, reflects abstract themes of life, beauty, and death. The story revolves around a Doctor, a Widow, and a village Chief, focusing on the Widow’s unsettling behaviour after a miscarriage as she carries her stillborn child as if alive, prompting the Chief and Doctor to intervene. As the creator, I discuss the creative rationale behind the animation and the aim to utilise interpretation to generate mystery and intrigue around characters. This approach draws on surrealist principles to create subjective and enigmatic portraits of who these characters are. Surrealism is known for bypassing rational thought to tap into hidden emotions and desires [1], and in this context, it serves as the foundation for how Cymebelle’s characters are presented—allowing their inner selves to unravel.
Surrealism is an art movement that seeks to unlock the unconscious mind and tap into the irrational, dream-like elements of human experience [2], and in the 1920s under the leadership of André Breton it emphasised the use of unexpected juxtapositions, free association, and dream imagery to challenge rational thought, conventions, and the boundaries of reality. Through surrealism, characters can be viewed as real people with an underlying subconscious, which can then inform visual and narrative execution. Muth et al [3] has explored the concept of intrigue through ambiguity, revealing that participants often enjoy artworks with higher levels of ambiguity. The animation encourages audiences to ‘unravel’ characters by creating layers of information referred to as layers of interpretation. Each layer of information is interpreted to reveal deeper aspects of character, promoting more active understanding.
Character Designs. A thorough understanding of each character allows the creator to delve deeply into their inner psyche, revealing their emotions, desires, and subconscious thoughts. When characters’ inner worlds are vividly understood, their fears, anxieties, and desires can be externalized through surrealistic representation, offering audiences a visual gateway into their psyche and evoking emotional and intellectual engagement. For example, The Widowis fascinated by the disturbed, rejecting conventional ideas of good and bad, and her choice to keep her stillborn child reflects her complex view of life and death. The Doctor who is inspired by plague doctors wears a mask and sees herself as a passive observer with little agency in changing the world. And The Chiefrules through fear, though behind his confident exterior, he doubts his own strength and carefully crafts his image (see figure 1).
Application of Surrealism. Knobloch-Westerwick and Keplinger have investigated the appeal of mystery narratives, and the elements required to execute it [4]. They examine how the level of uncertainty and the resolution of a mystery affect the viewer’s enjoyment of the narrative and argue that mysteries are more engaging when they contain a balance of suspense and eventual resolution, allowing for a satisfying cognitive experience. The study highlights that while unresolved mysteries create intrigue, complete resolution is necessary for higher satisfaction. The findings suggest that the pleasure derived from mysteries involves both tension and closure. This understanding led to the production of the animated short film, Cymebelle.
André Brenton outlines 3 concepts of surrealism [2] that are applied to Cymebelle: ‘Automatism’, Breton champions the practice of automatism, where artists and writers create without conscious control, allowing the subconscious to express itself freely. This process is intended to bypass rational thought and tap into deeper layers of the mind. ‘Rejection of Traditional Art’, Breton critiques traditional forms of art and literature, which he views as limited and tied to the rational. Surrealism aims to create new forms that reflect the complexity of human experience and the irrational nature of existence. ‘Integration of Art and Life’ – Surrealism seeks to blur the boundaries between art and life, believing that art should not be a separate entity but should engage with and reflect the complexities of everyday life.
Cymebelle embodies these surrealist principles, blending subconscious expression, a rejection of traditional storytelling, and the integration of art with life. Influenced by automatism, the characters and narrative in the animation unfold indirectly, with emotions and motivations left for the viewer to interpret. The Widow’s attachment to her stillborn child, the Doctor’s passive role as an observer, and the Chief’s fragile control all emerge from implied emotional depths. The surreal moment when the Doctor’s hair grows uncontrollably symbolises her inner turmoil, embodying the surrealist idea of bypassing rational thought (see figure 2). Rejecting traditional narrative structures, Cymebelle focuses on fragmented, dreamlike events—such as the Widow’s miscarriage—presented through impressionistic flashes rather than clear, linear storytelling. This ambiguity, in line with surrealism, reflects the irrationality of human experience (see figure 3). Finally, the integration of art and life is used to blend reality with internal states of characters. In a similar vein to the Doctor’s hair twisting around her room, Widow’s weightless scarf and hair expands throughout her home. Her unbothered, relaxed, yet dominating personality is symbolised through this contrasting representation. Cymebelle turns the world itself into an extension of the characters’ subconscious, inviting viewers to explore its abstract layers, much like interpreting a dream.
Overall, Cymebelle exemplifies these surrealist concepts, reflecting André Breton’s rejection of traditional forms and his emphasis on subconscious expression. It avoids direct statements on character thoughts and emotions, leaving viewers to interpret the actions and motivations of its main characters—the Doctor, Widow, and Chief. The characters’ internal lives remain veiled, reflecting the surrealist emphasis on complexity and indirect expression rather than clear emotional articulation. Through analysis of Cymebelle, the animation serves as a model for those interested in similar narrative structures.
References
[1] The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Surrealism.” Encyclopedia Britannica [online], accessed February 10, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/art/Surrealism.
[2] Breton, André. ”Manifesto of Surrealism,” in Art in Theory 1900-1990: An Anthology of Changing Ideas, ed. Charles Harrison & Paul Wood Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1992, pp. 87‐88.
[3] Muth, Claudia, Vera M. Hesslinger, and Claus-Christian Carbon. “The appeal of challenge in the perception of art: How ambiguity, solvability of ambiguity, and the opportunity for insight affect appreciation.” Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts 9, no. 3, 2015, p. 206.
[4] Knobloch-Westerwick, Silvia, and Caterina Keplinger. “Mystery appeal: Effects of uncertainty and resolution on the enjoyment of mystery.” Media Psychology 8, no. 3, 2006, pp.193-212.
Linn Oo is a Melbourne-based 2D animator. His work often employs a high-contrast and textured aesthetic to explore and convey the ideas surrounding the ‘self’ and the struggles that come with it. After completing a Bachelor of Animation and Interactive Media at RMIT University, Linn accrued years of experience as a professional animator, contributing to projects such as the upcoming short film They All Fell Down (Cabello, 2024) and the feature film Perfect Birth (Rich, 2025). In 2024, Linn completed her Masters of Animation, Games, and Interactivity at RMIT University.
