Concept, Set, Props and Costumes by Cosette Mangas

Script Cosette Mangas, Griffin Andolfatto

Directed by James Stibilj

Cinematography Sophie Muzychenko

Gaffer Dima Shovgelia

Lighting Technician Jill Tassin

Lighting Assistant Christian Bovio

Costume Assistant Samira Girretz

Production Assistant Giampi Russo

Music Brett Peters

Editted by James Stibilj and Sophie Muzychenko

Color Grade Sophie Muzychenko

Sound Mastering Victor Mangas

Poem Griffin Andolfatto

3D Design Simon Floris

Hair and Makeup Briseïs Delissen Goris

Executive produced by Monica Pfau and Roger Mangas

Starring Maute Genbrugge, Hannah Van Lint, Giampiero Russo, Leopold Terlinden, Lorenzo Marenco, Poline Van Tiggelt, Manel Llopis, Ellian Guevara, Andrea Palazzo, Lenn Achten

Created for the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp

ALMA : Gilded Wings of a Flightless Bird (2026)

ALMA explores the theme of escapism as something passed down intergenerationally. It is a fictionalised retelling of the real life escape stories of three generations of women in my family, starting with my grandmother, Alma Pfau, who fled Poland at the breakout of the second world war.

This need for escape, stayed with her for the remainder of her life, and was subsequently passed on to her daughter, although it took on a new shape.

The film reimagines these real life stories of escape through my own highly stylised escapist lens.