Diyala Muir

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Red Shoes

2022

The peace of a secluded society is disrupted by the sudden arrival of a mysterious object, which they interpret as a gift. Zindy, a creative and observant member of the community, is particularly drawn to the object, a pair of red shoes, and secretly tries them on. Once worn, the shoes spring to life and drag Zindy away from their family, dancing for days until they are at the other end of the planet. Exhausted and hopeless, Zindy takes a desperate measure in an effort to regain control, unknowingly uncovering a huge secret and even bigger threat to their existence. In this modern interpretation of the classic fairy tale ‘The Red Shoes’ our protagonist fights for their own agency, throughout a symbolic journey which should resonate with anyone who has either chosen or been forced to perform femininity within a structure intent on control. Red Shoes aims to re-centre the narrative, and asks whether true freedom is achievable on either an individual or a societal level.

The idea for ‘Red Shoes’ was initially conceived as a sequel to ‘Blue Hands,’ which ends with the protagonist lost in the woods. I wanted her to find her way home. During development of the narrative this evolved to become a spiritual sister film rather than a direct continuation. Where ‘Blue Hands’ was about inertia, ‘Red Shoes’ is about action and regeneration. This film was funded and supported by the British Film Institute and produced by Girls in Film.

‘Brew’ music video

2019

Norman and Betty begin a long distance relationship that quickly turns obsessive. Their co-dependency leads to mutually assured destruction via two cats and some heart-shaped balloons.

This music video was commissioned by Sony Music UK and produced by Girls in Film, for Declan McKenna’s B-side re-release of ‘Brew’ on Record Store Day. I created the narrative by focusing on the core idea of this self-destructive couple who try to replicate each other’s lives in order to feel closer to the other person. I wanted to show their longing and obsession through every day objects and routines.

Rodeo

2019

Visuals for Frank Wajda’s track ‘Rodeo’

This was animated straight ahead as a stream of consciousness, I wanted to create a dream-like state of flow. I then printed out each frame - 8 on an A4 page - stitched the pages together with electrical tape, coloured them with felt tips and crayons, painted the backgrounds, and scanned them back in again. This created several cycles I could loop and play with - I liked the idea of using repetition for this track as a visual play on the phrase ‘not my first rodeo.’

Blue Hands

2017

In an abstract journey about grief and denial a woman tries to escape the ghosts of her past, but they catch up to her on a night-bus to Nowhere.

Blue Hands was supported through the STOP PLAY RECORD programme at the ICA in London, in partnership with Dazed and Channel 4. Blue Hands aired on series 5 of Random Acts and screened at festivals including Encounters and the London International Animation Festival.

Pencil and paint on paper.

The Day After the Party

2016

An anxious young woman makes her way through Brixton market. Memory and fantasy slowly weave themselves into the chaotic street scene, engulfing her into a sinister world of talking fish, weeping sunflowers and a suspiciously haunting grin.

I wanted to build an abstract narrative going in and out of the protagonist’s fantasy world while she walks through a busy market scene. She is anxious and going over the events of the party the night before, so every stare from a stranger or a weirdly shaped object is heightened to some bizarre status. I built this film by collecting some personal poems, memories, and many many drawings from time spent at various farmers markets around London. You can see some of these below.

Pencil and paint on paper