Humantis Review: An indie short on outgrowing your environment...
Humantis, an animated short film by Paris Baillie | Brooklyn Film Festival 2025
The discourse around outgrowing your environment is slowly accumulating, but writer, director, animator Paris Baillie has given it a perspective the world has yet to see.
In this eerie yet enlightening silent, stop motion short film, we’re taken on a journey through the life of a flower-praying mantis hybrid.
The main character is a prim white flower with the aura of an elite member of society until they realize one of their petals has been stained green.
The community bonds through elegant, synchronized movements. When asked about the use of choreography, Paris says, “I was inspired by Rihanna’s Halftime Show.”
Throughout the film, the main character removes pieces from others to uphold their pure status, but the more they mask themselves, the more rapidly the green stains expand throughout their body.
Paris’s decision to use white creatures with a dark background makes the world feel spacious and mundane. But when color is introduced, the new, vibrant world feels just as large.
Many people from different communities resist changing environments and starting new chapters because of the discomfort. Humantis is a reminder that whatever is aligned with the best version of you is on the other side of that uncomfortability.
Captivating, alluring, and relatable only begin to describe the feelings Humantis ignites.
This is a must-see!