# animate! › Films › Sweet Salt by Katerina Athanasopoulou › all › synopses › direction & collaboration › full production credits › film stills › tools & processes › format & distribution › background material Canonical: https://animate.org.uk/films/sweetsalt/all Discovery terms: 2000s animation, cut-out animation, live action and animation, digital compositing, obsession, love, loneliness, dark fairy tale, filmmaker, animation artist The following is the archived page text; discovery terms above are separately sourced metadata. Archive status: restored in 2026; historical calls, deadlines and services are closed. --- **Sweet Salt** a film by Katerina Athanasopoulou 2005, 6 min 02 sec [watch this film ›](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1u88t) ![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt25.jpg) ### animate! synopsis A love story of obsession and sharp teeth between a woman left behind in a fairy tale gone wrong and a merman trapped in a reality that drowns him. ### one sentence synopsis Hungry woman, thirsty man; A love story of obsession and sharp teeth. ### short synopsis A love story of obsession and sharp teeth, between a woman lost in a fairy tale gone wrong and a merman trapped in a reality that drowns him. ### long synopsis Beneath the fairy tale forest lives a merman who loves his loneliness. Above him is a little girl lost, an unsuspecting saviour filling his bathtub with the sea of her tears. When his haven breaks he finds his way to her garden, a reluctant hero born out of desperation. Their worlds collide… Dying from dehydration he seeks her tears only to be confronted by her longing his touch. She, the hunter; He, the trembling little fish. ### key credits **director** Katerina Athanasopoulou **woman** Gwynne McElveen **merman** Ben Hardy **set build** Suzie Templeton **music** Repairman **sound designer** Jake Roberts Barnaby Templer **producer** Becalelis Brodskis ### Katerina Athanasopoulou #### short biography Katerina studied Fine Arts in Greece before taking her Animation MA at the Royal College of Art, London, in 2002. Her films **I Sing the Body Electric**, **The Clipper** and **Body Remember** have been widely seen at international festivals, while her animations have appeared on the stage as well as in art galleries. She lives in London and is a founding member of Doctorpuss Productions. 13 September 2005 #### filmography 2005 **Sweet Salt** 2003 **Body Remember** 2003 **The Clipper** 2002 **Argonautica** 2002 **I Sing the Body Electric** 2001 **Spoons** #### artist’s photo ![Katerina Athanasopoulou, portrait](https://animate.org.uk/films/downloads/animate_katerinathanasopoulou_portrait01.jpg) November 2004 #### artist’s website [Katerina Athanasopoulou](http://www.kineticat.co.uk) ### a film by Katerina Athanasopoulou ### direction **director** Katerina Athanasopoulou ### cast in picture **woman** Gwynne McElveen **merman** Ben Hardy ### live-action personnel **director of photography** Luis Graham-Yooll **first assistant director** Ian Clark ### image personnel **set build** Suzie Templeton ### incorporated image material Footage of Icelandic geyser by Camille Brooks ### sound personnel **music** Repairman **sound designer** Jake Roberts Barnaby Templer ### production personnel **producer** Becalelis Brodskis ### production company website Doctorpuss Productions [www.doctorpussproductions.com](http://www.doctorpussproductions.com) ### support **primary funding** an animate! commission funded through Finetake by Arts Council England and Channel 4 © Katerina Athanasopoulou 2005 [![Sweet Salt, still: *Sweet Salt* front title card](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt01.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt01.jpg) **Sweet Salt** front title card - *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt02.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt02.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt03.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt03.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt04.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt04.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt05.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt05.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt06.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt06.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt07.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt07.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt08.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt08.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt09.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt09.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt10.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt10.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt11.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt11.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt12.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt12.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt13.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt13.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt14.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt14.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt15.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt15.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt16.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt16.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt17.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt17.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt18.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt18.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt19.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt19.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt20.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt20.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt21.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt21.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt22.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt22.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt23.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt23.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt24.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt24.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt25.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt25.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt26.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt26.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt27.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt27.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt28.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt28.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt29.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt29.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt30.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt30.jpg) *click on image for full size still* [![Sweet Salt, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/sweetsalt31.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/sweetsalt31.jpg) *click on image for full size still* ### technical #### process summary **Sweet Salt** was born out of intense manipulation of digitally shot live action, still and moving images and found textures following the tradition of Printing. Layers melting together, with After Effects as the main tool, resulting in cut-out Cinema. ### master copy format **format** DigiBeta **colour or black & white** colour ### video distribution format **video format** DigiBeta **screen aspect ratio** 16:9 **video standard** PAL **sound type** stereo ### film distribution format **film format** none ### distributor LUX [info@lux.org.uk](mailto:info@lux.org.uk) +44 (0)20 7503 3980 [www.lux.org.uk](http://www.lux.org.uk/) Katerina Athanasopoulou [katerina@kineticat.co.uk](mailto:katerina@kineticat.co.uk) [www.kineticat.co.uk](http://www.kineticat.co.uk) ### production material #### reference images **** ![Pre-production concept still](https://animate.org.uk/films/downloads/animate_sweetsalt_concept_still01.jpg) Pre-production concept still **** ![Pre-production concept still](https://animate.org.uk/films/downloads/animate_sweetsalt_concept_still02.jpg) Pre-production concept still **** ![Sketch](https://animate.org.uk/films/downloads/animate_sweetsalt_sketch01.jpg) Sketch **** ![Sketch](https://animate.org.uk/films/downloads/animate_sweetsalt_sketch02.jpg) Sketch **** ![Sketch](https://animate.org.uk/films/downloads/animate_sweetsalt_sketch03.jpg) Sketch **** ![Sketch](https://animate.org.uk/films/downloads/animate_sweetsalt_sketch04.jpg) Sketch #### design **** ![Dark water texture](https://animate.org.uk/films/downloads/animate_sweetsalt_texture01.jpg) Dark water texture **** ![Sky apples texture](https://animate.org.uk/films/downloads/animate_sweetsalt_texture02.jpg) Sky apples texture **** ![Steam texture](https://animate.org.uk/films/downloads/animate_sweetsalt_texture03.jpg) Steam texture **** ![Slime texture](https://animate.org.uk/films/downloads/animate_sweetsalt_texture04.jpg) Slime texture ### first public screening **Channel 4 Television** 6 December 2005 **Sweet Salt** film, stills and other materials © Katerina Athanasopoulou 2005