A poetic response to experiences of misogyny that continue to shape the filmindustry, Jess Stephens His Lens looks to the possibility of creative freedom away from restrictive and oppressive power dynamics.
Produced using traditional animation techniques with pastels and torn paper, the film is based on a text written by the artist's sister, Rebecca Stephens.
Jess Stephens graduates in animation from UCA Farnham, Jess Stephens specialises in 2D animation from digital approaches to traditional materials such as oil pastels, pencils and paint. Stephens' work is informed by poetry and oral history, and is inspired by the possibilities of animation as a tool for documentary
filmmaking. With few photographs or videos from their mother’s childhood, Windrush (2022) used animation to fill the gaps to tell a moving story of migration from Barbados to the UK and life in the diaspora.
Their films have screened at festivals including London International Animation Festival, Student World Impact Film Festival (Ontario) and Reel to Reality Film Festival. Jess co-founded the animation collective Lavender Haus, with whom they have directed several short films.
