Swimming with Wings


Swimming with Wings is a 2023 Israeli-Dutch animated short documentary written and directed by Daphna Awadish. The film explores the immigration experience through the eyes of little Israeli girl learning how to swim with clothes on in the Netherlands.
The 10-minute short premiered in multiple festivals worldwide, including the 2023 Ottawa International Animation Festival, the Warsaw Film Festival, and the
FIPADOC International Documentary Festival. In addition, the film won the Grand Prix du Jury at the Meknes International Animation Film Festival in Morocco, the ECFA Documentary Film Award at the Olympia International Film Festival in Greece, a Jury Award finalist at the New York International Children's Film Festival, and the ECFA Award at the PLAY Festival at the Lisbon International Children's Film Festival in Portugal.

Plot

Lyri recently moved to the Netherlands with her family and reflects on her experiences adjusting to this new environment. Although she would have preferred to stay in Israel, she finds herself navigating a world filled with unfamiliar customs. One of the most striking differences she notes is that children in the Netherlands learn to swim in their street clothes, highlighting the unique cultural practices she is encountering.

Accolades

Since its release, the film has been selected in various festivals around the world:
YearFestivalsAward/CategoryStatus
2023Ottawa International Animation FestivaBest Short Film
2023Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young PeopleECFA Documentary Film AwardWon
2023Dok LeipzigShort Film Competition
2023BANJALUKA International Animated FilmShort Film Competition
2023AnimestShort Film Competition
2023Warsaw Film FestivalShort Film Competition
202417th ANIMASYROS International Animation FestivalInternational Competition Section
2024Rising of Lusitania Animadoc FFSpecial Jury AwardWon
2024FIPADOCShort Film Competition
2024Kaohsiung Film FestivalChildren's Jury AwardWon
2024New York International Children's Film FestivalJury award
2024Lisbon International Children Film Festival ECFA AwardWon
2024Psaroloco International Children's & Young People's Film FestivalJury award Human rights and environmentWon
2024Meknes International Animation Film FestivalShort Film CompetitionWon
2024IFF - Integrazione Film FestivalShort Film Competition