paper or plastic
An immigrant comes to a first-world country to paint a mural on the tallest tower. As he tries to adapt to his new surroundings, he faces xenophobia and bizarre rules that compel him to return home.
The film is dedicated to immigrants who find themselves caught between worlds: not quite fitting in the new country and becoming strangers in their homeland.
This is my first independent film made outside of film school.
production: self-produced
direction, animation: Nata Metlukh
sound, music: Nicolas Martigne
story
When I started production in 2018, it had been 10 years since I moved away from my home country, and I decided to honor the anniversary by making a film about immigration.
Before developing the actual story, I created a 3-act structure to outline the main character’s actions and the obstacles he faces along the way.
I researched the immigration process and the challenges that newcomers face in a new country. The biggest problems include: language barriers, low-skilled jobs, housing, access to local services (like hospitals), cultural differences, prejudice, and isolation. Many of the film’s episodes are based on this list.
unskilled labor
accent check
tiny house
impossible paperwork at the hospital
My favorite part of storytelling was incorporating absurd and strange elements. In the bureaucratic episodes, Mikk needs to fly to deliver the document correctly, and with each subsequent round, he becomes more naked to emphasize the humiliation of the process.
In Dreamcity dogs walk backwards, fashion is weird, and street musicians play invisible instruments.
To finalize the story, I had to come up with all the missing situations and arrange the 100 shots in a logical order. I determined all the challenging tasks the main character would face, decided on the pattern he would paint, identified the odd rules in Dreamcity that would lead him into trouble with the police, planned how he would get a knife in his back, and mapped out the other betrayals he would encounter on his journey.
unsolicited help
locals only sidewalk sign
policeman getting suspicious about his mask
fellow tourists from hero's hometown pretend they don’t recognize him
characters
In the film, there are three types of characters: those from first-world countries (locals), those from second-world countries (where the hero is from, high-skilled workers), and those from third-world countries (low-skilled workers).
design evolution of the main hero
design evolution of the 3 types of characters
In total, there are 90 characters and two crowds of countless individuals.
title
The obvious options for the title, like “Alien,” “Immigrant,” or “Unwelcome,” were already taken.
I thought the title should reflect the main character's constant questioning of his place in Dreamcity. I came up with the title “For Here or to Go?” which captures the choice between staying and leaving, and aligns with the immigration theme, as the hero would work at a café selling sandwiches.
Unfortunately, this title was also already used for a movie about immigrants.
a man mistakenly takes the hero for a foreigner because of his smile
In the final round of the name search, I explored various slang allegories for immigrants in several dictionaries. One option was “Paper or Plastic.”
While I doubted that anyone actually uses “paper or plastic” to refer to immigrants, I liked the name because it implied a choice.
So, “Paper or Plastic” it was! The hero ended up working in a grocery store, packing items in paper or plastic.
I created a poster where he is sitting between two chairs, unsure of which one to choose.
The film’s logline is “Where R U From?”
production
animation: from rough to clean
bg: rough and final
animation detail: smear
animation with smear
colorscript
fx: glowing liquid
fx: glowing liquid
language
Sound, music, and voices are provided by Nicolas Martigne. The film includes several dialogues in "fictional" English.
I chose not to use real language because it often requires subtitles, which I try to avoid at all costs. The film has a fast pace, and subtitles would make it difficult to follow both the visuals and the text.
All signs and texts in Dreamcity are written in a standard galactic alphabet.
paper or plastic?
ℸ ̣ ⍑ᔑリꖌᓭ ⎓𝙹∷ ∷ᒷᔑ↸╎リ⊣!
awards
Jury Choice Award at Feinaki Beijing Animation Week (China, 2019)
Jury Special Mention at Linoleum Animation Festival (Ukraine, 2019)
Honorable Mention at Kuandu International Animation Festival (Taiwan, 2019)
Special Mention at Mecal Pro Animation Film Festival (Spain, 2020)
2d place at Publicystyka International Film Festival (Poland, 2019)