“Between a mother-tree and a young seed at the same time” is how Brazilian director Priscilla Kellen felt as she became a mother at 36. A very free and independent woman until then, it was this pregnancy and birth that shaped what would become “Papaya”, Kellen’s feature directorial debut.
After being presented in Rio Film Festival last October, “Papaya” will make its international premiere as part of the Generation Kplus competition here in Berlin, a true honor for both the director herself and for Brazilian cinema.
Best Friend Forever handles international sales for Priscilla Kellen’s animated feature “Papaya”, with animation specialist label Gebeka Films handling French distribution rights to the title, scheduled for 2026.
Variety spoke with Kellen ahead of the Berlinale premiere about the personal and professional journey that is “Papaya,” a family friendly, non-dialogue animated feature that uses digital cut-out technique and lush colors to bring forth a tale of parenthood, independence and how to fight against environmental degradation. Variety has also had access in exclusivity to the trailer for “Papaya.”
Before you started your career, can you recall your very first vivid memory of animation?
The first image that comes to mind, more of a baby’s feeling than a proper memory, is of the characters and colors of the “Barbapapa” family. I was a middle-class child in a large city in the ‘80s, so besides playing with my neighbors in the street, we spent a good part of our time gathered in front of the TV playing Atari and watching everything that was on broadcast television.
I also remember the cozy feeling of watching more abstract animations shown on TV Cultura (our state-owned TV station), especially those made with stop-motion in claymation, like “Mio Mao” and “Pingu,” usually at my grandmother’s house full of my cousins.
It seems that animation was always part of your life. How did you start to work in this industry?
My path in animation began during my undergraduate studies in graphic design, when, through Anima Mundi, I discovered incredible experimental animations from around the world and decided to work in animated film.
During this period, I met Alê Abreu and began collaborating on his projects, initially as a graphic designer and later becoming part of the art and animation teams for his first two feature films “Garoto Cósmico” and “The Boy and the World.” Afterwards, I directed the 26-episode TV series “Vivi Viravento.”
All three very different projects, and I followed them all from development to completion, always seeking the language and style that best suited the personality of each work. This trajectory connects to a long-standing curiosity: Since childhood, my interest in drawing, painting, artistic techniques, and art history has consistently guided my creative perspective.
Can you tell us more about how “Papaya” came to you as a project?
The inspiration came during pregnancy and took shape after my son’s birth, as the baby grew and discovered the world. I was delighted to follow this entire process of human development so closely, in a symbiotic exchange, and at the same time, to see the impact and reflections of welcoming this new life on my own life.
I became a mother at 36, I had been a very free and independent woman until then, and suddenly I found myself rooted to care for a new life. I felt like I was losing the freedom and autonomy I used to have, while my most naive dreams and desires continued to provoke my imagination. It was a kind of existential crisis: I felt like a mother-tree and also a young seed at the same time.
Regarding the artistic direction, I sensed the story asked for an expressive acting and, at the same time, simple and minimalist animation that reflected the protagonist’s difficulty in moving in the heavy environment and her diminutive proportions. My request to the Birdo animation studio was that the movements have a certain weight and intensity to appear real, without the exaggerated distortions typical of conventional 2D animation. Therefore, the animation team needed to combine this dramatic quality with the principles of cut-out animation, since this also aligned with the abstract forms of the scenarios, helping viewers to immerse themselves in Papaya’s universe.
What challenges did this technique present to you as an animator?
From the beginning of the project, the goal was to make the story clear without words, drawing a parallel with a seed discovering the world, and also aiming for the film to reach the widest possible audience. Without spoken language to narrate, relying only on vocal reactions, noises, and music to mark atmospheres and culminating moments, we were challenged from pre-production to find more graphic narrative solutions, starting with the storyboards, character design and background art. The animation and effects team developed the acting based on reference sounds and soundtracks.
If I had to pinpoint a favorite sequence, I love the beginning with the nutrients flowing through the papaya tree cells and the baby seeds suckling in the cozy orange cave. Another scene that always gives me goosebumps is the one with the birds and winged creatures invading the high-tech production, especially because of the sound work and the powerful voice of Tulipa Ruiz.
Any other hurdles you had to overcome during this production?
The scenes showing the underground network and the communication between plants and fungi in the soil were an exercise in patience and overcoming challenges for the team at all stages of production. Fortunately, we all survived, strengthened and happy with the result!
The various shapes and clever designs of the animals particularly stand out, how did you approach the creation of this wide range of creatures, and their textures?
Even before I began developing “Papaya”, as a graphic designer, I had already collected some references from geometric abstract art and ethnic patterns in crafts, fabrics, and popular children’s products. As an illustrator of children’s content, I sought ways to apply some of this geometry to my work, especially in paper collages. Through my son, I felt that babies and children deserved less literalness in graphic representations, leaving more room for their visual perception and imagination to develop. When I started creating Papaya’s
story, I expanded this research to the crafts of papaya fruits’ region of origin: Central America, southern North America, and the Amazon region of South America, from where I found incredibly colorful and beautiful design patterns. The concept for the film’s art direction was born from this mix.
Sound and music-wise, the film is also unique. Can you elaborate on this part of the project? Since the goal was to have a clear story in a non-verbal way, from the development of the script structured in actions, without narrator or dialogue, I made director’s notes on sound elements and environmental sensations that would be important in driving the plot. While we were making the animatic (a kind of video sketch), I added reference sounds and music, marking atmospheres and climax points. As we were nearing completion, music producer Talita Del Collado offered a profound reinterpretation of these references and created the original soundtrack for “Papaya.” She developed musical elements inspired by the sounds of nature and, from them, composed the main musical themes influenced by Brazilian popular music from different regions. In dialogue with Talita’s compositions, the Submarino Fantástico studio team created and edited the sound effects. Finally, singer Tulipa Ruiz, who lends her bittersweet and powerful voice to the character “Mother-Tree” in the film, also performs the final song, “Borboleta,” composed by her father Luiz Chagas and produced by her brother Gustavo Chagas.
‘Papaya’
“Papaya” mirrors a lot of the ecological concerns already present in “The Boy and the World.” Was it important to you to tackle these issues as well?
Since it’s generally not easy growing up in this world, I felt that “Papaya” should address themes such as existential dilemmas and climate issues, which are also major concerns for young people. I wanted to approach these themes in a playful and poetic way, offering the possibility of dreaming freely and even with magical solutions, while also leaving room for reflection and personal interpretation, respecting the viewer’s critical sense and their developing perspective. In that sense, Generation Kplus is the perfect place for the premiere of “Papaya”.
Speaking of the Berlinale, how do you feel being part of this strong Brazilian representation?
Brazilian cinema is experiencing a very prosperous period with the recent worldwide success of films such as “I’m Still Here” by Walter Salles, “The Secret Agent” by Kleber Mendonça, and “The Blue Trail” by Gabriel Mascaro. The selection of “Papaya” for the Berlinale is a true honor and was very celebrated news, reinforcing the sector’s optimism at the moment. It’s a recognition of the artistic and cinematographic quality of our animation, along with other six Brazilian films in this edition, demonstrating the festival’s curatorial interest in authentic creations. I’m very excited to attend the film’s screenings at the Berlinale and even a little anxious to know how the audience will react. I hope they enjoy Papaya’s journey in pursuit of her dream!
What is animation for you as a medium?
Thank you! It’s always an important reminder that animation is a medium, not a genre. I understand that the countless animation techniques available (and yet to be created) allow us to tell stories and create worlds that would be impossible or almost always unfeasible in live-action. I feel that with these unlimited resources we have in animation, dreams and other fantastic realities do indeed come true. We are then limited only by our own imagination and ability to create. And in this sense, I hope that there will be more and more space for animated films that are not practically restricted to children’s audiences.
Best Friend Forever handles international sales for Priscilla Kellen’s animated feature “Papaya”, with animation specialist label Gebeka Films handling French distribution rights to the title, scheduled for 2026.
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