‘Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake’ Director Irene Iborra Rizo Discusses Her Powerful Stop-Mo Film

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Spanish director Irene Iborra Rizo’s new stop-motion feature Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Cristal prize at Annecy in June and received great reviews. The film, which is also competing at the Ottawa International Animation Festival in September, offers a powerful portrait of a family dealing with harrowing real-world issues such as poverty, housing insecurity and depression. The titular heroine of the movie protects her little brother from the sad truth of their lives by convincing him that everything they’re experiencing is part of an elaborate film shoot.

Iborra Rizo, who is best known for her previous animated shorts such as Click, and has the distinction of directing Catalonia’s first stop-motion feature, was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about her imaginative and powerful movie:

Animation Magazine: Can you tell us a bit about how this project started? When did you begin work on the movie and how long did it take?

Irene Iborra Rizo: This project has its origin in a novel written by Maite Carranza, a well-known Spanish author: The Film of Our Lives. When I read the novel, I was deeply moved, partly because it resonated strongly with parts of my own life and partly because Maite managed to tackle very complicated subjects from the children’s point of view with great tenderness and clarity. So, I felt the need to tell the story in the form of a film, as a very powerful tool to destigmatize child poverty and be able to talk about it with children without overdramatizing it. We began writing the adaptation with Maite Carranza and Júlia Prats in 2018, and we finished the film in 2025 … so, it took a lot of time!

What were some of your inspirations for the style of movie?

My Life as a Zucchini, directed by Claude Barras, was my very first inspiration for the film. Because when I watched it, I thought, “OK it’s possible to make a good feature in stop-motion in Europe. Let’s go.” In fact, Barras’ film and mine have a lot in common: not easy subjects, children who find love in unexpected places, colorful sets and puppets and even some people from the crew: Morgan Navarro, César Diaz, Tim Allen.

Was it difficult to balance such sensitive topics as home insecurity and depression in a family movie?

Yes, it wasn’t easy at all. Already in the script, as writers, we were aware that we needed to explain this very carefully, in a very delicate way and always finding the limit to not fall into big drama. Our intention was to show that there is always a seed of light in the middle of darkness. And at the same time, the colorful and positive “mise-en-scène” balances these shadows. Besides, sensitive topics are part of the world we live in. And to keep children in a bubble, pretending everything is always bright, I feel it’s not fair for them. This is why I think it’s healthier to make them understand that life is wonderful with all, lights and shadows, and that we have the power to decide how to navigate it.

How many sets were created for the movie, and how big were the puppets?

Five sets were built for the movie, and the puppets’ size was around 20 centimeters (7.9 inches). It’s a big production effort and very ambitious to be the first stop-motion movie in Catalonia. It has been a huge challenge!

What do you love about working in the stop-motion world?

There are so many reasons: I love handcrafted work, and handcrafted cinema is only possible with stop-motion. I love to work with different textures too, because they appeal to our sense of touch. Besides, stop motion allows [me] to explain stories through materials and from my point of view; it gives kind of a freedom and the feeling that [something] unexpected can arrive in any moment … I enjoy it a lot. In the film, we have used different textures — wool hair, real tissue — and it gives a particular delicacy in the form that joins very well [with] the content of the story. In addition, stop motion with puppets allows a “safety distance” to explain this hard story to children. Puppets work as a particular mirror to us, in a way that we can identify with characters but not merge with them.

Can you discuss the importance of having that strong sense of place (Barcelona, Catalonia) in your movie?

For me, the film is my particular “love letter” to the “other” Barcelona, the one that we don’t see in the tourist tours. The one where we find communities who care about others and fight together for their rights, no matter where you are from.

And this other Barcelona is reflected in the film through the architecture and topography of the peripheric neighborhoods that are directly related to the purchasing power of the people who live there. At the same time, the movie tells a story that can be located anywhere in the world, because it’s a story linked to capitalism and, sadly, it doesn’t happen only in Catalonia or Spain.

Have you been struck by the audiences’ responses to your movie?

Yes, a lot! I was overwhelmed by the warm feedback of the audience in the premiere in Annecy. I couldn’t imagine that the film could touch the hearts of so many people … some of them approached me to thank me with happy tears in their eyes. I’m very grateful for connecting with audiences in this way. The huge effort of making the film and all the struggles are finally worth it. Someone told me that the film feels like a big loving hug. After hearing that, as you can imagine, I was floating with happiness.

Who are your biggest animation influences?

Jan Švankmajer, Garri Bardin, Hayao Miyazaki, Caroline Leaf, Hermína Týrlová … and the list keeps going.

What is your take on the state of animation worldwide?

I confess that during the production of the film I was pretty disconnected of what was happening outside, but the feeling that there is a lot going on, it’s cool … and at the same time, in my opinion, it’s not so easy to find animation cinema with soul.

What do you hope audiences will take away from your movie?

Lots of things! For example: how the way we look ourselves, the perception that we have of ourselves and others, can change our lives. I would like to share the idea that our internal dialog is very important because it can save us … or drag us down. I would also like to convey to them that life is wonderful in its contradictions, even if it doesn’t make us happy every day. And above all, that together we can change things, and that we all have a superpower: the power to choose how we react to what happens to us!

Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake is part of the feature film competition at OIAF in September. It’s produced by Cornelius Films, Bígaro Films, Citoplasmas Stop Motion, Vivement Lundi !, Panique! Production, Nadasdy and Pájaro. You can find out more about the film at citoplasmas.com.