Interview with Maya Yonesho

By Manjari Kaul

Maya Yonesho, born in Hyogo, Japan in 1965, is an animation filmmaker. She has studied Visual Design and Animation at Kyoto Saga University of Arts. She conducted the 3 day animation workshop at Japan Foundation, New Delhi as part of a project titled 'Daumenreise' which literally means 'thumb-travel'. Through workshops and collaborations in countries such as Vienna, Taiwan, Japan, Israel and now India (she conducted a workshop in Mumbai before coming to New Delhi), she has travelled with this filmmaking process that involves the natives of the country to pictorally represent what they consider to be the quintessential images of their country/city. Movement is created between the chosen images through animation and these images of the place merge into or in some cases emerge from each other.

Maya Yonesho

The following is an excerpt from an interview with Maya Yonesho:

Manjari Kaul: Daumenreise 27... how, why, when and where did it all start?

Maya Yonesho: It started in 1996. I was in Vienna and I wanted to make a film about the place. However, there were no animation studios available and all I had was a camera and a laptop. I wanted to do something that involved chatting with friends, enjoying food and drinks and making a film. I started working on this project as it included all three things on my wish list. This traveling animation project has been to Vienna, Taiwan, Croatia and Israel. Animation, in its wider meaning implies "happiness in movement".  

MK: What is the process that one goes through in your workshops?

MY: The main idea is to draw about the city. One picture is selected from the many drawings everyone creates and then people fill in with movement between these pictures. 

MK: Is there anything unique or different about the Delhi project?

MY: As this workshop is being organised by Japan Foundation people are interested in the relationship between India and Japan. In fact, one of the animation sequences is about a trip to Japan.

MK: Have you made any sketches to capture the sights and other sensations of Delhi?

MY: Yes, I made a trip to Old Delhi. ( Takes out her little cards of colorful sketches) the lotus temple, yogurt in a pot, an auto-rickshaw, the red fort and butter chicken. If I were to make other sketches they would be of weak dogs and tired people on the roads. 

MK: You screen your Delhi segment on the 28th of February, what after that?

MY: I plan to go to Indonesia and Japan after this, then Croatia, then Germany, may be someday to the Moon! There is a Japanese proverb that says- "When you are travelling, don't worry about making mistakes." I want to screen my film on the moon one day so people may watch it from Earth.

Photograph Courtesy Maya Yonesho