Paradaïz
2025 | 9 min 28 s
2D hand-drawn animation with use of archives
A National Film Board of Canada production
Welcome to a place where the houses have holes, tomatoes are ticking time bombs and snails wander the streets in search of a safe space. In Paradaïz, Sarajevo-born artist Matea Radic uses absurdist animation, archival images and her own slippery childhood memories to explore the real meaning of home.
ONE-LINER
Welcome to a place filled with houseless slugs, bullet-ridden walls, never-ending cigarettes and exploding tomatoes. This must be Paradaïz.
LONG SYNOPSIS
Buckle up. We have begun our descent into Paradaïz.
Welcome to a place where the houses have holes, tomatoes are ticking time bombs and snails wander the streets in search of a safe space. In her short-film debut, Winnipeg-based artist Matea Radic uses hand-drawn animation, family photos, a wry sense of humour and her own slippery memories to return to the war-torn city of Sarajevo she fled as a child in the ’90s. There, in between chain-smoking cigarettes and watching old absurdist TV commercials, her heroine explores the home she left—or what’s left of it. Along the way, she subverts expectations about what healing looks like, engaging in a surreal game of hide-and-seek with her surroundings.
Images
Contact NFB publicist for high-resolution images for print.
Team
Credits
Written, Directed and Animated by
Matea Radic
Producer
Jelena Popović
Music and Sound Design
Tyler Fitzmaurice
Editor
Xi Feng
Executive Producers
Robert McLaughlin
Christine Noël
Line Producer
Laetitia Seguin
Production Administrators
Victoria Angell
Karine Desmeules
Production Coordinators
Dominique Forget
Omorose Osagie
Jasmine Pullukatt
Studio Operations Manager
Camille Fillion
Airplane Announcement
Dina Cindrić
Musicians
Tyler Fitzmaurice
Edmir Polovina
Sergiu Popa
Re-recording Mixer
Jean Paul Vialard
Foley
Lise Wedlock
Alexis Farand
Foley Assistant
Carmelita Glowacki
Foley Recording
Luc Léger
Assistant Sound Editor
Jojo Worthington
Additional Music
KRADEM TI SE U VEČERI
Traditional Bosnian version performed by
Himzo Polovina
End adaptation by
Tyler Fitzmaurice
performed by
Dina Cindrić
VINO PIJU AGE SARAJLIJE
Traditional Bosnian song
performed by
Sergiu Popa
Technical Directors
Mathieu Tremblay
Eloi Champagne
Technical Specialists, Animation
Alexandre Roy
Johanne Ste-Marie
Technical Coordinator
Luc Binette
Masterfile Conform
Melrouss
Online Editor and Colourist
Luca Di Gioacchino
Titles and Credits
Mélanie Bouchard
Excerpt from the ŠIPAD Furniture Commercial
LAKO JE ZA RAZMJEŠTAJ AKO IMAŠ NAMJEŠTAJ
used courtesy of
STANDARD FURNITURE FACTORY D.D.
Rights Research
Ira Isović
Photograph of Sarajevo panorama
Kamila Napora
https://www.mywanderlust.pl/
Family Photos used courtesy of
Dijana + Zlatko Radic
Translation
Amela Marin
Development Team
Alicia Smith, Producer
David Christensen, Executive Producer
Janet Kwan, Senior Production Coordinator
Bree Beach, Production Administrator
Devon Supeene, Studio Operations Manager
Special Thanks
Bill Acheson
Damir Ferhatović
Toby Gillies
Dunja Kovačević
Rubina Polovina
Edmir Polovina
Mélanie Walkty
Jasper Fitzmaurice
Adnan Pašagić
Ana Sokolović
Katarina Kajzer
Branko Kajzer
Legal Advisor
Peter Kallianiotis
Senior Marketing Advisor
Judith Lessard-Bérubé
Marketing Project Manager
Marion Duhaime-Morissette
Coordinator, Marketing
Emilie Ryan
Publicist
Nadine Viau
PARADAÏZ
© 2025 NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA
Media Relations
-
Nadine Viau
NFB Publicist – Montreal
C.: 514-458-9745
n.viau@nfb.ca
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About the NFB
Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 6,500 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.
