“The Night of the Tantawawas,” an Animated Celebration for All Saints’ Day | “La noche de las tantawawas”, una celebración animada para Todos Santos

By Brenda Molina, Opinión:

The project is the result of 9 months of collaborative work between artists from Cochabamba, La Paz and Santa Cruz. You only need to search YouTube by the title.

Una escena del corto animado “La noche de as Tantawawas”./ OSCAR-RICARDO ENCINAS
A scene from the animated short “La noche de as Tantawawas”./ OSCAR-RICARDO ENCINAS

“The Night of the Tantawawas,” an animated celebration for All Saints’ Day [click to watch video}

The animated short “The Night of the Tantawawas,” a Bolivian production that honors and commemorates one of the deepest and most sensitive traditions, the arrival of souls during All Saints’ Day, premieres today.

It is a 2D animated short film produced 100% in Bolivia, which will be released to the public today, Thursday, October 30 on the YouTube platform.

The seven-minute work was made entirely by hand, from character and background design to frame-by-frame animation, completely foregoing the use of artificial intelligence.

Directed and produced by Oscar-Ricardo Encinas, the short continues the story started in 2024 with “Tantawawas, picking up its endearing protagonists: a grandfather, a boy and, in this case, a girl who joins the narrative.

The plot invites reflection on life, memory and the affective presence of those who have already passed, through a festive and spiritual atmosphere that connects different regions of the country.

“Once again All Saints’ Day arrives and two little souls come down to possess their respective bread dolls. Now, however, they end up in a great party, where numerous other visitors from the beyond share, celebrate and remember their time in life,” the synopsis previews.

The project is the result of nine months of collaborative work between artists and animators from Cochabamba, La Paz and Santa Cruz, among them Nardha Velásquez Rojas in art design, Adela Quiroga and Arleth Enríquez in animation, and Moni Carreño in narrative illustrations. Added to this is the meticulous sound design by Eric V. Arias and the original music by Edwin Mollinedo Orihuela, who contribute an emotional dimension that envelops the viewer.

“The Night of the Tantawawas” will be available free and permanently on the producer’s YouTube channel (osricen), with the clear intention of becoming a gift for the Bolivian public and for all those who recognize in the tradition a meeting point between generations.

The production invites viewers to watch, share and celebrate, always respecting copyright and avoiding its download or re-upload to other platforms, the same producer, Oscar-Enrique Encinas, announced.

“In times when technology accelerates creative processes, this work recalls the value of patience, of the slow stroke, of the detail built with love. ‘The Night of the Tantawawas’ is not just a premiere: it is a gesture of collective memory.”

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