Batik Girl is R&D Studio’s first animated short film. Batik, a textile commonly found in South East Asian was chosen as the starting point for a story set in the region.
‘Batik tulis’ (drawn batik) from the state of Terengganu on the east coast of Malaysia was specifically looked at as it features two distinct elements: wax lines that are applied using a stylus called a ‘canting’ and the application of bold and bright colors using brushes.
On its own, the wax lines and the colors are not very impressive but combining them together creates something beautiful.
From the story of the relationship between a little girl and her grandmother to the visual development of the real and batik world and the exploration of music that incorporated the use of modern as well as traditional instruments, the concept of the whole is greater than the sum of its part became the guiding philosophy to the short film.
Batik Girl went on a successful festival circuit in 2018-2019, having premiered in 17 different countries, official selections in 28 international film festivals and winning awards in Chile, Japan and the USA.
