The Hunger

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Inspiration

The inspiration comes from a focus on hidden sexual violence within families and the traumatic impact on women’s growth. By using symbols such as food and masks combined with surrealist visual language, I sought to visualize the oppression and enforced silence experienced by the young girl, evoking empathy and reflection on familial sexual violence.

What it does

Through clay-like stop-motion imagery and dreamlike symbolic narration, the film renders the hidden mechanisms of domestic violence into a tangible aesthetic experience. Rather than recounting events directly, it relies on symbolism and emotion, encouraging audiences to confront discomfort and re-examine power and harm within cases of familial sexual violence.

How we built it

We began by using ChatGPT-4o and Midjourney to generate text-driven storyboard sketches, which were refined in Photoshop to ensure consistency in scenes and characters. Stable Diffusion was then applied to unify the “claymation” style and enhance resolution. For video generation, we tested three text-to-video AI models—Jimu, Hailuo, and Keling—ultimately selecting Hailuo as the primary tool for its fluidity and stylistic continuity, while the others served in supporting roles. The final stage included frame-by-frame rhythm adjustments, compositing, color grading, and sound design.

Challenges we ran into

The main challenges were maintaining visual and temporal coherence across outputs from different AI tools, avoiding style shifts and frame disruptions; portraying trauma with authenticity and strength without falling into exploitation or retraumatization; and balancing quality and narrative integrity under limited time and resources.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We successfully combined AI generation with directorial oversight to create a unified “digital stop-motion” aesthetic with a clay-like texture. The film has already been selected by several festivals and invited to filmmaker exchanges. More importantly, screenings have sparked conversations on familial sexual violence and the culture of silence within Asian communities—an outcome we are most proud of.

What we learned

We learned that AI is a powerful tool for expanding creative possibilities, but it requires the aesthetic judgment of the director and team to preserve emotional depth and ethical boundaries. A hybrid workflow of technology and manual artistry can produce richer visual language. Most crucially, addressing trauma demands ongoing sensitivity and responsibility.

What's next for The Hunger

We plan to continue submitting to international festivals and participating in post-screening dialogues. We also aim to create behind-the-scenes materials or production notes for educational and academic purposes, and to collaborate with mental health organizations in hosting discussions, exploring the potential of film as a medium for trauma care and cinematic healing.

Built With

• english