Synopsis

Darkness haunts the young girl, Raja. Overwhelmed by the weight of her shadows, she collapses. A light appears and her journey begins. In search for the end, Raja stumbles through a wondrous in-between world. There, she finds something she thought she had lost forever.

Film info

Original titel  |  Raja
Film Typ  |  Stop Motion Animation, Student Film
Genre  |  Drama, Fantasy, Animation, Stop Motion
Country  |  Germany
Language  |  German
Subtitle  |  English, Spanish, French
Running Time |  19:42 min
Film School  |  University of applied Science, Hochschule Mainz
End of production |  2023, September
Release Dates |  April 2024

Directed and  produced by  |  Franziska Von Holst, Louisa Maria Würden
Screenplay by |  Franziska Von Holst, Louisa Maria Würden

Music by |  Sebastian Hohberg
Edited by |  Cornelius Koch

Awards

Medienförderpreis Rheinland-Pfalz
Filmz - Festival des deutschen Kinos, 2024

Animation Award
Filmz - Festival des deutschen Kinos, 2024

Social Awareness Award
Animayo International Film Festival of Animation, 2024

festivals

14th CutOut Fest - International Animation and Digital Art Festival
November 2024, Querétaro, Mexico
Official selection for Student Competition

23th FILMZ - Filmfest für deutsches Kino
November 2024, Mainz, Germany
Official selection for Animation Award
Official selection for the Medienförderpreis Rheinland-Pfalz


reanimania International Filmfestival of animation and comic arts festival
October 2024, Yerevan, Armenia
Official selection

animasyros International Animation Film Festival
September 2024, Syros, Greece
Official selection for Student Competition

i-FEST International Film Festival
September  2024, Castrovillari, Italy
Official selection for International Competition Animation

CINEF Le festival Cinéma au Féminin
August 2024, Kinshasa, Kongo
Official selection for International Competition

32th Curtas Vila do Conde Internacional Film Festival
July 2024, Vila do Conde, Portugal
Official selection for My Generation Competition

19th Summit, Animayo International Film Festival of Animation
Conference and International Film Festival of Animation, Visual Effects and Video Games
Qualifying Festival Oscar Academy Awards

May 2024, Gran Canaria, Spain
Official selection for International Competition

International Trickfilm Festival of Animated Film Stuttgart
April 2024, Stuttgart, Germany
Outside Competition Program German Animation 2 “Auf in die Zukunft”

53th Sehsüchte - International Student Film Festival
April 2024, Potsdam, Germany
Official selection for Animated Film Competition

crew and cast

Music and Sounddesign
Sebastian Hohberg

Cast
Lisa Dzyadyk
Sybille Nicolai

Trailer Cast
Wolfgang Packhäuser

Mixing
Bernhard Leimbrock
Jan Mayerhofer

Visual effects
Niklas Doka
Lennart Fleck
Sina Gulder
Richard Heucher
Cornelius Koch
Gerrit Kuge
Marcus Schmidt
Victor van Wetten

Editing
Cornelius Koch

Color Grading
Dominic Thiel

Distribution
Fabian & Fred

supported by

Medienförderung Rheinland Pfalz

Nachwuchsmedienförderung Rheinland Pfalz

Herold Studios
PilleFilm
Spektrumfilm

hoerfeld
Kontrastfilm

Start-Next Supporters
Patreons

A graduation film from

University of Applied Science, Hochschule Mainz



Thanks to

 Andreas Dickescheid, Anna Kupffer, Beate Hauenschild, Bram Williams, Carolin Weis, 
Christian Eidmann, Constanze Werneburg, David Nögel, Dennis Heislitz, Elisa Svensson, Ferdinand Kücük, Ferdinand Lotz, Herbert Hauenschild, Imo Krause, Jan Czmok, Jonas Becker, Josefina Dittmer, Julia von Holst, Kilian Lenz, Laura Svensson, Lin Uffrecht, 
Lina Essex, Lisa Hauenschild, Lisa Krieg, Martin Kupffer, Maya Leuschen, Meike Deichelbohrer, 
Melanie Beisswenger, Merle Tebbe, Michaela Stephan, Paula Mohr, Peter Würden, 
Petra Ober-Würden, Samuel Kramer, Sarah Traut, Sascha Heyden, Sophie Bach, Tim Rizzo, 
Tjark Ihmels, Viola Karaalioğlu, Yael Bloch

directors note

"RAJA deals with a very personal subject, to which we were able to devote ourselves to with due depth and honesty over a period of six years. Negative thoughts have always been part of our lives. We want to approach the topic of "fears" and the question "What is the driving force in me?" in a sensitive manner.
One thought in particular has emerged: Love as a mental approach is something we firmly believe in. We would like to remind not only ourselves but also everyone else of this."     Franziska and Louisa