“Con la grazia e la leggerezza di un film di animazione esplicitamente per bambini, il corto esplora le classiche reazioni di una piccola comunità all’arrivo di un “alieno”. Il regista confeziona così un’opera originale e coraggiosa, in cui la metafora riesce sapientemente a veicolare un tema grave e importante e a farlo arrivare lontano, proprio come l’uomo-cannone protagonista della storia. Divertendo ma anche facendo riflettere”.
Il regista
Pubblicista e artista digitale, Roberto Valencia ha lavorato per più di vent’anni come direttore creativo in diverse agenzie di comunicazione a Quito, in Ecuador.
ENGLISH VERSION
“The Strange Case of the Human Cannonball” has won the thirteenth edition of the Spi Stories Contest, whose award ceremony was held in Spoleto on September 24. Roberto Valencia, the director of this enchanting and meaningful animated short film, told us he had spent several years living in France and Spain, where he experienced firsthand the harsh reality of migration. As he himself states, it was from these experiences that the need to tell this story arose.
The Strange Case of the Human Cannonball is a metaphorical comedy about today’s society — a feast for the eyes. It is a story about borders and the prejudices that prevent us from seeing others as a discovery rather than as a problem.
The jury for the award, composed of Salvatore De Mola (President), Milena Cocozza (Director), and Miriam Broglia (CEO of LiberEtà), selected the winner with the following motivation:
“With the grace and lightness of a children’s animated film, the short explores the typical reactions of a small community to the arrival of an ‘alien.’ The director has crafted an original and courageous work, in which the metaphor skillfully conveys a serious and important theme, managing to make it resonate far and wide — just like the human cannonball at the heart of the story. It entertains while also prompting reflection.”
The Director
A journalist and digital artist, Roberto Valencia has worked for over twenty years as a creative director at various communication agencies in Quito, Ecuador.










