An animated film produced by academics at the University of Portsmouth, that reflects on and explores violence against women in South Sudan, has received awards at several international film festivals.

The animation, Art, Heritage and Resilience in South Sudan, was created by Dr Louis Netter, Senior Lecturer in Illustration in the School of Art and Design at the University of Portsmouth, for a research project by Professor Tamsin Bradley, Professor in International Development Studies at the University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The film explores the findings of Tamsin Bradley’s research on violence against women and the complex dualities around art contributing to empowerment and negative gendered traditions and behaviours.

It received best animation in the Roma Short Film Festival and the Tokyo International Short Film Festival. It was a semi-finalist for Serbest International Film Festival (SIFF) and received an honourable mention at the Japan International Film Festival and Seoul International Short Film Festival. Additionally, it was an official selection at the International African Film Festival in Argentina.

Dr Louis Netter said: “The success of the film at international festivals is proof that ‘research’ films need not be created with a narrow audience in mind. This important work exploring gender, artistic practices and violence against women in South Sudan has now reached a wider audience through these festivals and increases the potential impact of this work in raising consciousness globally.”

Dr Netter and Professor Bradley are exploring other venues for showing the film and utilising the arts in future campaigns and as a means of collecting qualitative data in marginalised and underserved populations.

Watch Art, Heritage and Resilience in South Sudan, below.