THE GIRL WITH THE OCCUPIED EYES Animation by André Carrilho I 8min I Portugal Ι No dialogue
April 12, 2025
The View Beyond the Screen: André Carrilho’s Cinematic Vision
By Koumoutsi Soultana
In The Girl with the Occupied Eyes, André Carrilho distils a modern predicament into eight minutes of brilliant animation: a little girl, mesmerized by her mobile phone, drifts through a world brimming with miracles —most of which she never sees. Best known for his impressive cartoons and elegant caricatures, Carrilho brings his sharp eye for social commentary to the realm of animation, crafting a dialogue-free meditation on attention, conscious presence, and the calm magic of the tangible world.
We discussed with Carrilho about the inspiration moment for creating the film, the fluidity between the artistic disciplines he utilizes, and the particular challenge of telling a story without words.
Your film “The Girl with the Occupied Eyes”, tells a deeply contemporary story about distraction and conscious presence. Was there a particular moment—personal or observed—that first planted the seed for this project?
Yes. The moment I became a father was when I became more focused on the issue of screens, technology and how it affects children. I had done some work about it, but it was mostly editorial illustrations. With my kids I spontaneously thought of a story to tell them, as a way to start a conversation on the dangers of spending too much time looking at screens.
As an artist whose work spans editorial cartoons, caricature, and now animation, how does storytelling shift when words are removed from the equation? What did you find most challenging about conveying meaning purely through image and motion?
Well, my editorial work usually doesn’t use words, so I don’t think removing the text from the animation was too painful a process. I just had to rethink a few aspects of the main character’s reaction to the narrative. I do think that working in different creative fields broadens your horizon and brings visual solutions from one to the other. I feel cartoons, caricature, animation and
illustration cross-pollinate in my head, and I like that.
Award JURY AWARD ages 4+ at the Psaroloco International Film Festival for Children & Young People
André
Carrilho
With a professional career spanning more than 30 years, ANDRÉ CARRILHO has received more than 100 honours and awards as an illustrator, cartoonist, animator, director and caricaturist, and has seen his work exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in Portugal, Spain, Brazil, France, Czech Republic, China and the USA. His work has been published in an extensive list of publications, including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, Independent on Sunday, Diário de Notícias and Expresso. Dinner in Lisbon (2007) is the title of his first animated film. The Girl with the Occupied Eyes and Dear Sea are the names of his two best-selling children’s books.
The story follows a little girl who is oblivious to the world around her—what message do you hope audiences take away from her journey?
I would like people, parents and children alike, to pay more attention to what surrounds us, to what we can touch and feel, and to those who need our support. We are not islands, and having conversations online or liking each other’s posts is not the same as having meaningful human. connections.
Your career has spanned decades and mediums, from Vanity Fair’s Oscar Party mural to incisive political satire. Given your experience across various media, how does animation compare to your editorial work in conveying social commentary?
Each medium has its strengths and challenges. Animation probably has the potential to reach more people than printed media, but then again it takes more time and effort to make. Also, there’s more money involved, less willingness to take the same risks as, for example, an editorial cartoon. I would say animation can be used very effectively for social commentary, and children’s stories are perfect for changing the world because its audiences are more tuned in and curious. Children really pay attention, ask meaningful questions, and challenge you to make your best work.