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Down in the Dumps

Tief unten
Generation Kplus 2025
Cinelli, a neurotic and perfectionist ladybird, is meticulously preparing for her upcoming birthday party. Everything has to be flawless – nothing else will do! Her awkward and unpopular neighbour Peri, a clumsy cockroach, wants to come to the party. But, fearing he might ruin it, Cinelli neglects to invite him. Peri’s pride is hurt and he decides to steal Cinelli’s cherished red wing sheaths, the symbols of her perfection. Next day, when Cinelli realises they are gone, she falls into a deep depression. What meaning does life have without her dazzling exterior? As Cinelli sinks into a dark tunnel, Peri begins to realise that not everything in the ladybird’s life is as perfect as it seems. Understanding the toll that losing her wing sheaths is taking on her, he decides to go looking for his neighbour ...
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by Vera van Wolferen (Director), Britt Snel (Screenplay)
with Yootha Wong-Loi Sing, Alex Klaasen, Manoushka Zeegelaar Breeveld Netherlands 2025 Dutch 18' Colour World premiere | Animation | Short Film recommendation: 9 years and up

With

  • Yootha Wong-Loi Sing (Cinelli)
  • Alex Klaasen (Peri)
  • Manoushka Zeegelaar Breeveld (Obius)

Crew

Director Vera van Wolferen
Screenplay Britt Snel
Cinematography Marc de Meijer
Music Manna Horsting
Sound Design Maria Kramer
Production Design Vera van Wolferen
Animation Jasper Kuipers, Ylva Ernst, Jing Yue Zwaan
Producers Chris Stenger, Floor Onrust
Executive Producer Chris Stenger

Produced by

Family Affair Films

Photos

Vera van Wolferen

© Mia Tengco

An animation director and set designer from the Netherlands. She creates intricate and meticulously constructed scenes out of paper including set designs, stop-motion animations and window displays for brands like Heineken, Facebook, Bosch and Jo Malone. Her graduation film How to Catch a Bird was a Vimeo Staff Pick and she was named as one of the new-generation animators by “Monocle” in 2013. In 2017, she participated in the talent development programme of the Playgrounds Festival and, in 2020, her short film Tourist Trap was released in 30 Dutch cinemas as a supporting short.

Filmography

2013 How to Catch a Bird; animation 2020 Tourist Trap; animation 2025 Down in the Dumps; animation

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025