There is no violence in ANIMAL CRACKERS (Pentimenti) yet it is very unsettling and it communicates to people in an emotional, visceral way. What attracted me to creating this film was the underlying mystery surrounding Sylvie and Little Amanda. From the beginning there are clues that something is wrong.  Sylvie seems concerned and questions Little Amanda about bruises, but because of the cheerful, childlike music we don’t’ really notice.  In life we are often distracted and ignore what is obvious. There is no doubt that Sylvie adores the little girl so how could such a terrible thing happen? Who is Amanda? Is she an ex wife, a babysitter or Amanda's mother as she claims. In her mind she is very clear as to who she is but the therapist, Mr. James, has his preconceived opinion of her and so she continues meeting with him as part of prison protocol and no longer knows her own truth. Sylvie is overpowered by a system and is in survival mode so she paints herself further into a corner. This story is about the chaos and instability of life and that’s why the word, pentimenti is used. It’s a scene in someones life that has been painted over and painted over so that the truth never comes out.  This little eight minute film took six weeks to complete. It was shot in three days. We used our own resources.  Film at its best is an art form.