Skirmanta Jakaitè is originally from Lithuania and is an animation director and occasional illustrator. Escaping the monotony of the everyday, she focuses on meetings, exchanges and above all the discovery of new places and new atmospheres which are sources of inspiration for her as a ‘visual’ artist.
In 2019, her residency at the Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud enabled her to meet other artists and to develop her short film ‘Way Better’, the fourth film she has directed. Skirmanta’s intention was to create a 10-minute film combining the two techniques of 2D drawing and puppet animation, and her residency at the cultural centre enabled her to refine her plans.
In her animated work, Skirmanta wanted to examine two themes: the anxiety and anticipation of our constant desire for something ‘better’, contrasted with dissatisfaction and the fear of the imagined ‘worst’. She wanted to focus on these emotions which dictate our everyday decisions, and the constant anticipation of an end result which is never sufficiently satisfying.
‘Way Better’ examines three stories, each with different protagonists; only a ‘God’ and the viewer remain the same throughout. The artist’s approach was motivated by the feeling that there is always something – someone – behind our backs, which we can never catch a glimpse of.