Short Film Forum

Cicë!

Animation / Kosova
Director & Producer: Finesa Peja
Production Company: Fin Animation Studio
Language: Albanian
Estimated Duration: 14 Minutes
Current Stage Of Development: Pre-Production

Synopsis:
“Cicë!” is a short 2D animated film about a woman who endures constant harassment and objectification because of her body. After a man gropes her without consent at a party, she reaches her breaking point and decides to reclaim her power. Returning home, she removes her breasts and begins experimenting on them.

The next day, while waiting at a bus stop, she is catcalled by a group of men demanding to see her chest. She complies, but instead of satisfying their gaze, her breasts transform into two large dogs that leap into the men’s car, frightening them away.
In the final scene, she encounters another woman who opens her jacket to reveal a small dog emerging from her chest. The two share a moment of recognition and solidarity, suggesting that their surreal transformations are a symbol of resilience against gender-based harassment.

Director's/Producers's Biography:
Finesa Peja is an animator from Prishtina, Kosovo, born in 2002. She began her animation journey in 2018 by enrolling in the Animation Academy organized by Anibar Animation Festival, where she later also worked as a stop-motion tutor for children aged 6–12 and participated in numerous workshops.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in 2D/3D Animation from LISAA – L’Institut Supérieur des Arts Appliqués, where she directed her student short film, Roots. After graduating, she returned to Kosovo and worked as an animator at Flammorum for over a year.

In late 2024, she joined the MuseumsQuartier Artist-in-Residence program in Vienna, Austria, contributing to the film archive of the Tricky Women, Tricky Realities animation festival. She currently works at Anibar Animation Studio as a 2D Animator, Character Designer, and Storyboard Artist, continuing to develop narrative-driven animation projects while contributing to Kosovo’s growing animation industry.

Support Sought From Short Film Forum:
Advice, co-production, sound designers, compositors