{"id":2011046,"date":"2026-06-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2011046"},"modified":"2026-06-25T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T21:00:00","slug":"please-is-anna-mantzaris-unhinged-comedy-about-desperately-wanting-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2011046","title":{"rendered":"\u2018PLEASE\u2019 Is Anna Mantzaris\u2019 Unhinged Comedy About Desperately Wanting Love"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/anna-1.gif\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a gif of an animated character lighting a fire that says marry me\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">All images courtesy of Anna Mantzaris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">\u2018PLEASE\u2019 Is Anna Mantzaris\u2019 Unhinged Comedy About Desperately Wanting Love<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-06-25T15:50:48-05:00\">June 25, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-animation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/animation\/\" rel=\"tag\">Animation<\/a><a class=\"category-film\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/film\/\" rel=\"tag\">Film<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/gebert\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Grace Ebert<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F06%2Fplease-anna-mantzaris-stop-motion-animation%2F&amp;title=%26%238216%3BPLEASE%27%20Is%20Anna%20Mantzaris%27%20Unhinged%20Comedy%20About%20Desperately%20Wanting%20Love\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#6b54181e09010e081f564e595d4e595853595a5d4e58293b272e2a382e4e595c4e595b22184e595b2a05050a4e595b260a051f110a1902184e595c4e595b3e050302050c0e0f4e595b2804060e0f124e595b2a09041e1f4e595b2f0e181b0e190a1f0e07124e595b3c0a051f02050c4e595b27041d0e4d0a061b5009040f12564e595d4e595853595a5d4e58293b272e2a382e4e595c4e595b22184e595b2a05050a4e595b260a051f110a1902184e595c4e595b3e050302050c0e0f4e595b2804060e0f124e595b2a09041e1f4e595b2f0e181b0e190a1f0e07124e595b3c0a051f02050c4e595b27041d0e4e595b4e2e594e535b4e525f4e595b031f1f1b184e582a4e592d4e592d1c1c1c451f03021802180804070418180a07450804064e592d595b595d4e592d5b5d4e592d1b070e0a180e460a05050a46060a051f110a19021846181f041b4606041f020405460a0502060a1f0204054e592d\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"475353\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sure, we all want love, but what lengths would you go to find it? Swedish animator <a href=\"https:\/\/www.annamantzaris.se\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Anna Mantzaris<\/a> once again captures the gamut of human emotion in a stop-motion film that plunges headfirst into the pitiful and cringy. As its title suggests, \u201cPLEASE\u201d is about wanting and attempting to find love through increasingly unhinged acts of desperation and neediness. Mantzaris\u2019 signature felt characters light fires for marriage proposals, sob in the chip aisle, and hug puppies while waiting for the train.<\/p>\n<p>The writer and director tells <a href=\"https:\/\/www.creativeboom.com\/news\/anna-mantzaris-on-please-her-stop-motion-ode-to-neediness-and-getting-stellan-skarsgrd-to-play-winston\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Creative Boom<\/a> that she got the idea for the short film during the early days of the pandemic, when most people were trapped at home.\u00a0\u201cWe became more obsessed with our self-image because we saw ourselves on screens in Zoom calls all day. We spent a lot of time looking at ourselves while feeling disconnected from other people,\u201d she says. \u201cI wanted the characters to try to break out of this bubble, to reach out, to show their longing, but in a not-so-perfect way.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cPLEASE\u201d is the latest addition to Mantzaris\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/anna-mantzaris\/\">growing collection<\/a> of dark comedies, although this film also counts Swedish actor\u00a0Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd, who just this year was <a href=\"https:\/\/faroutmagazine.co.uk\/oscars-2026-sentimental-value-star-stellan-skarsgard-oscars-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nominated for an Oscar<\/a> for his role in <em>Sentimental Value<\/em>, among its cast. Presented through a series of vignettes, the felted puppets weave in and out of the animation, and we witness their most heated and pathetic moments. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m interested in the difference between what we show the world and what we actually feel,\u201d she adds. \u201cPresenting the \u2018ugly\u2019 feelings through the puppets makes us feel seen. They get to do it for us, so we feel we\u2019re not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The short film is currently making the rounds on the festival circuit, although a wider release is in the works, too. Watch the trailer on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hlxSBtzmcQ8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube<\/a>, and find additional clips\u2014including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DZeyofys9pD\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the dating profile<\/a> of a particularly discouraged 21-year-old\u2014on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/annamantzaris\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/anna-2.gif\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475353\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/anna-2.gif\" alt=\"an animated gif of people crying in a chip aisle\" class=\"wp-image-475355\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/anna-1.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475353\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1500\" height=\"841\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/anna-1.jpeg\" alt=\"a still of a woman hugging a man&apos;s dog on a train platform\" class=\"wp-image-475356\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-benefits is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hide advertising<\/li>\n<li>Save your favorite articles<\/li>\n<li>Get 15% off in the <a href=\"https:\/\/colossal.shop\/\">Colossal Shop<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Receive members-only newsletter<\/li>\n<li>Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-options is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Join us today!<\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113464\">$7\/month<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113463\">$75\/year<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-chalk-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\">Explore membership options<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"20\" height=\"21\" class=\"wp-image-327872\" style=\"width: 20px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/arrow-left.svg\" alt><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/aside>\n<nav class=\"navigation post-navigation\" role=\"navigation\">\n<div class=\"nav-links\">\n<div class=\"nav-previous\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/06\/chris-millar-mixed-media-paintings-miniatures-sculptures\/\" rel=\"prev\">Next article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All images courtesy of Anna Mantzaris \u2018PLEASE\u2019 Is Anna Mantzaris\u2019 Unhinged Comedy About Desperately Wanting Love June 25, 2026 AnimationFilm Grace Ebert Share Email Bookmark Sure, we all want love, but what lengths would you go to find it? Swedish animator Anna Mantzaris once again captures the gamut of human emotion in a stop-motion film [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2011046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2011046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2011046"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2011046\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2011046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2011046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2011046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}