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Freaks of Nurture

A stop-motion film about a mother-daughter relationship bursting at the seams with babies, poodles and flying spaghetti.
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Freaks of Nurture is an animated short about a neurotic mother-daughter relationship inspired by the filmmaker’s own unorthodox upbringing with her single-parent mom, who is also a foster parent and dog breeder. Self-deprecating and bursting with energy, the film reveals that no matter how grown-up we think we are, we never quite stop craving the love and support of a parent.

Families Psychology and Psychiatry All subjects
Animation Comedy Family Stories Make Me Laugh Women in Film All channels
  • director
    Alexandra Lemay
  • animator
    Alexandra Lemay
  • story
    Alexandra Lemay
  • design
    Alexandra Lemay
  • screenplay
    Alexandra Lemay
    Julie Matlin
  • script consultant
    Janet Perlman
  • voice
    Alexandra Lemay
    Claudia Besso
    Amanda Plummer
  • original music
    Judith Gruber-Stitzer
  • musician
    Nicholas Di Giovanni
    Dave Gossage
    David Grott
    Bill Mahar
  • sound design
    Luigi Allemano
  • director of photography
    Luka Sanader
  • sets
    Laurent Canniccioni
    Emily Bélanger
  • props
    Laurent Canniccioni
    Emily Bélanger
    Dominique Côté
    Emma Owen
    Dany Boivin
  • armatures
    Erik Goulet
  • molds
    Emma Owen
    Dany Boivin
    Olivier Xavier
    Daniel Auclair
  • character sculptor
    Alexandra Lemay
  • costumes
    Alexandra Lemay
  • intern
    Ramona Mismetti
  • foley
    Karla Baumgardner
  • foley recording
    Geoffrey Mitchell
  • music recording
    Geoffrey Mitchell
  • voice recording
    Geoffrey Mitchell
    MELS
    Smart Post West
  • re-recording
    Serge Boivin
  • titles
    Mélanie Bouchard
  • online editing
    Serge Verreault
  • technical coordination
    Candice Desormeaux
    Luc Binette
  • compositing
    Randall Finnerty
    Éloi Champagne
    Simon Cottee
    Glenn Gear
  • technical director
    Éloi Champagne
  • animation coordinator
    Randall Finnerty
  • administration
    Victoire-Émilie Bessette
    Rosalina Di Sario
    Dominique Forget
    Stéphanie Lalonde
  • marketing
    Judith Lessard-Bérubé
  • producer
    Maral Mohammadian
  • executive producer
    Michael Fukushima

Education

Ages 14 to 18

Notes

Warnings: Language

Look for details in the film that explain the relationship between mother and daughter. Why is the daughter so needy? Why is the mother so distracted? What would you suggest to help this relationship? Role play this comedy with a partner. Imagine the characters 10 years later; what may have changed?

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Freaks of Nurture
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