History, Mystery & Odyssey

Six animators, forty years of animation, one shared creative landscape

History, Mystery & Odyssey is a documentary feature that brings together the personal stories and creative practices of six award winning and internationally renowned independent animators. Filmed entirely in Portland Oregon, the city where all of them live and work, the film offers an intimate portrait of a community shaped by decades of artistic experimentation and independence.

Spanning a forty year period, their animated films reflect the evolution of animation as both an art form and a technical practice. The documentary explores a broad spectrum of techniques, including direct animation, hand drawn stop motion, three dimensional models, clay painting, computer generated imagery, and the recent emergence of AI in animation. Through these diverse approaches, the film traces how each animator has responded to changing tools, ideas, and cultural contexts while maintaining a distinct personal vision.

By focusing on both the films and the lives behind them, the documentary examines the relationship between place, time, and creative freedom. Portland Oregon emerges not only as a setting, but as a shared environment that has allowed these artists to develop sustained, internationally recognised careers outside mainstream animation industries. The film offers a historical perspective on independent animation, while also reflecting on mystery, process, and the ongoing odyssey of making animated work over a lifetime.