Animator Eleni Aerts’ work explores the gnawing feelings that humans hide from the world, as shown in her recent film COLD BATHROOM. We caught up about throwing out the script to make way for metaphor, what it means to start again and again, and her dream of a kinder film industry. 

COLD BATHROOM appears on T-Port courtesy of our partners at Flanders Image. 

Hi Eleni, could you introduce yourself in a few lines?

I graduated in 2025 from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent with a Master’s degree in Animation. This was my second film, the previous film, Red Meat, was also a student film.

Why did you choose film as your medium? Is it your only artistic outlet or do you have others?

Animation is my favorite medium to work in, because of how expressive the movement and camera can be. Filmmaking can transport you to different realities and make you understand other perspectives and yourself. I also dabble in some non-moving visual arts; drawing, sculpting and painting.

Do you have a philosophy behind your filmmaking? Or do you feel like you belong to a particular artistic movement from the present day or past? 

I like to make work around gnawing feelings and showing them through metaphors, which are often way too far-fetched and applied thickly. The feelings often come out as monstrous creatures and there is always room for a mocking twist.

If you could watch one film on a loop forever, what would it be? 

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Tell us about your film on T-Port. What is it about? How did you choose to tell its story?  

It is a story about internal chaos that people bury away deep within themselves. These torments can demand all our mental and physical space. The film looks at the journey of finding a way to live with the internal chaos and not a way to get rid of it.

The chaos shows itself in the form of a frog that is being kept inside of Geraldine, the lead character. Geraldine is not happy with the frog inside of her and the frog is not happy inside of Geraldine. They need to find a way to accept one another.

During their journey the power they have over one another keeps shifting until they balance each other out.

What challenges have you encountered while embarking on your film project? How did you seek to overcome them?

I wrote a script with a more clear narrative, but it was thrown out because I ran out of time. I kept the underlying story and tried to adapt the story in a more abstract way where movement and music could give the feeling that was in the script.

How was it to collaborate with your cast and crew? Do you work with “regulars”, or are you trying something new?

I worked with the composer, Fédérique Le duc – Moreau, on my previous project. I love working with her. She is able to adapt the movement I animate in an amazing way. She can add layers and underline emotions in a very expressive way through sound.

Can you share the most important lessons you learned through the process of making your film?

Enjoy the process, it’s amazing you can make films.

If you could go back in time to pre-production and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

This is just a student film, don’t stress too much.

How have you found working within the film industry where you are as now? What have you found to be the biggest challenges in building your career? 

Starting is scary, and even when you started and found a way in you constantly need to start again and again and again. So learning to not be scared of starting is a big one.

How have you felt about the distribution side of the film industry? Do you feel prepared or knowledgeable?

Mostly I find it so expensive. I don’t have the budget to pay for the festivals who ask a submission fee. The best advice I got was that it’s very good if you get in at 1 out of 10 festivals you submit to.

Looking at the film industry now, if you could make one lasting change to make it better, what would you do?

Kindness, help each other and lose your ego.

Is there anything else you would like to mention?

Keep making films. It’s fun and fresh perspectives keep us evolving.