Interview with Filmmaker Hung Huei Jen (GORILLA IN THE WASHING MACHINE)

GORILLA IN THE WASHING MACHINE played to rave reviews at the June 2020 Experimental Film Festival.

Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film?

Hung Huei Jen: Well, to be honest, to graduate. Haha, but not just that. I just really like making animations. To free the characters and make them alive are probably the most magical thing for me. And that is always my main motivation for making animation films.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this short?

I spent about three months finding suitable metaphors and weaving them into a full story, and 8-9 months on animating, post production… etc. In total, it was about a year.

3. How would you describe your short film in two words!?

OH… um..?

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

I don’t think I had any, everything was quite smooth and right on schedule.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I am glad they all enjoyed it, but did anyone find out the hidden meaning here?

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

6. How did you come up with the idea for this short film?

At the time when I was doing the research for making an animation film, I didn’t know exactly what I was going to make. I was browsing the Internet and searching for something interesting. Then, this phrase, which is the title of my film “Gorilla in the washing machine”, came up in an article about metaphors, and it caught my attention. Soon I decided this could be a good title for an animation film!

After more research, the nature of metaphors, in which people used them in daily lives but didn’t really pay much attention to them, attracted me greatly. Especially metaphors that are related to sex are the most interesting ones, because they become some vivid but bizarre sentences when out of context.

So, then I decided to use this characteristic of metaphors to make a film that could be innocent and dirty at the same time, but also fun and filled with hidden meanings.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Paprika by Satoshi Kon

8. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway, what are you feelings of the submission platform from a filmmaker’s perspective?

It is fast and easy. I liked it.

9. What song have you listened to the most times in your life?

This is a difficult question, since I listen to all kinds of music and I haven’t just stopped for one type or one song. To me, music is like emotions. They go with flow.

10. What is next for you? A new film?

A new animation short, and I can’t wait to start!