Anémona Studio (anemonastudio.com), an animation studio based in Mexico City, with a branch in Toronto, recently completed work on an animated short for OXFAM Mexico. Inequality Destroys Everything (
La Desigualdad Acaba con Todo) was created in a Japanese anime style inspired by the surreal universes of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.
OXFAM México is a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting poverty and inequality through advocacy, humanitarian aid and social justice programs. The production came together over a two-and-a-half month, and was ultimately released in December. It will be showcased at international film festivals, with the goal of raising awareness and sparking conversations about the urgent need for social and economic justice.
The :50 project came to life through the creative leadership of Agencia Montalvo, which conceptualized and developed the campaign, and Anémona Studio, which was responsible for adapting the script, art direction and animation. The team used hand-drawn 2D animation, which was seamlessly integrated with 3D elements to bring the story to life.
"This short film was created for OXFAM Mexico, the final client, with Montalvo as the communication agency and Anémona Studio as the animation studio that made it all possible," explains director Henedy Macías, who is head of studio at Anémona Studio. "OXFAM Mexico was looking for an animation style to bring their story to life. At Anémona, we suggested a classical 2D style inspired by anime, drawing influence from the surreal universes crafted by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. We took this spark of creativity and gave it our unique twist, resulting in this captivating short film."
The film’s haunting atmosphere further enhances the message. Silence’s Emmanuel Romero served as the project's lead sound engineer. Anémona Studio credits also include production manager Alejandra Piña, animation director Rafael Luna and art director/storyboard/concept artist Daniel Farrera.