The San Sebastian Festival has long challenged the myth that animation is only for young viewers. In its 71st edition, the lineup and conversations shifted that perception, underscoring animation’s potential in broader cinema. A standout example is The Sultan’s Dream, a feature inspired by a tale by Rokeya Hussain. The film’s director speaks with measured candor about how the story expands what animation can contribute to global cinema. Hussain’s work is credited with widening the view of women’s roles in creative industries across languages and cultures, a sentiment echoed by many who see the festival as a catalyst for change in the industry.
With a strong background in short films, advertising, and the visual arts, the director began shaping The Sultan’s Dream more than ten years ago after discovering Hussain’s book during travels in India. The cover features a woman aboard a spaceship, and the pages invite readers into a utopian realm where women hold knowledge and political influence, while men live in a more private, domestic sphere. The film’s adaptation draws from this larger narrative universe but centers on one thread, following a character named Inés who undergoes a personal, artistic transformation as the story unfolds. The project weaves Hussain’s biography through its imagery and presents a journey that blends personal discovery with social inquiry. The director explains that the work serves as a response to entrenched power dynamics, offering a critique of rigid gender roles and inviting reflection on how those roles have been shaped across time and cultures.
The Sultan’s Dream presents narrative challenges. Some viewers may find the film’s energy or clarity uneven at moments, yet it compensates with a striking array of visuals and a bold, multi-layered approach. Three distinct animation techniques converge to bring the story to life. The director describes a deliberate mix: henna-inspired temporary tattoos created through mendhi recreate key life scenes from Hussain’s life, a shadow-puppet style evokes the biographical thread around Hussain, and the remainder of the film unfolds through traditional animation. The result is a visual blend that resists being labeled as purely for children while still inviting younger audiences to witness a powerful message. The work resists easy feminist labeling and instead aims to show young girls that stories can be meaningful, inspiring them to see themselves as part of a larger, enduring narrative.
The festival also features All Dirt Roads Taste Like Salt, a standout debut in the competition for the Golden Oyster that centers a female perspective and moves beyond a strictly linear structure. Raven Jackson, an American poet and photographer, crafts a portrait of a Black woman in Mississippi across four decades. The film traces intimate milestones such as a first kiss, marriage, pregnancy, and family upheaval, building toward a poignant reunion. The storytelling invites viewers to feel the texture of time through sight, sound, and emotion, revealing a cinema that makes memory tangible. Jackson’s approach shows a rare talent for cinema that engages the senses as a whole, inviting audiences to experience rather than simply observe.
The festival’s focus on sensory-rich storytelling reflects a broader trend: cinema that respects audience intelligence while inviting a visceral connection. This approach challenges traditional boundaries and invites viewers to engage with films on multiple levels. The Sultan’s Dream and All Dirt Roads Taste Like Salt together illustrate how contemporary animation and feature storytelling can broaden what audiences expect from international cinema, especially regarding female authorship and cross-cultural narratives.