anime | 23rd Filmi: Toronto's South Asian Film Festival Dec 6-7 2025

A 3-minute animated short blending 2D and stop-motion, telling an absurd yet heartfelt tale of love, memory, and mangoes during a zombie apocalypse. Inspired by my bond with my Pakistani grandmother, Nanoo, it captures a surreal moment of connection in a crumbling world.

Director Biography – Raahim Tariq

Raahim Tariq is a 2D Animator & Multimedia Designer from Pakistan who recently completed his BFA with Honours and a Distinction from OCAD University in Toronto. He majored in Experimental Animation. Within the trajectory of learning and experimenting with different types of animations from 2D to 3D, as well as stop motion, he has developed a passion for 2D animation. He enjoys creating whimsical and fantastical characters, exploring humor-filled stories, and mainly promoting stories about being Pakistani and his identity, and in doing so, he tries to bring brown culture to the mainstream, so it may lead to the acceptance and respect for brown culture. Furthermore, his exploration entails using color symbolism and materiality within his animations to support displaying a deeper message. He hopes to work in Animated TV Shows/ Cartoons as well as create animated adverts for companies. While he is majoring in animation, he has a background in graphic design, illustration, and traditional art, which has led him to work and make campaign posters and article illustrations for nonprofit organizations in Pakistan, designing logos and menus for restaurants, and showcasing his work in exhibitions and winning awards.

Director Statement

The film combines two distinct animation styles. The main characters and world are presented in 2D animation, using blood flat colors and geometric shapes. The zombies, however, are animated using stop-motion, texturally and tonally separating the “imaginary” from the “real.”

Ultimately, this film is a love letter to grandmothers, to mangoes, and the chaotic beauty of South Asian storytelling. It captures the feeling of being a kid and believing every wild tale your elders told you, no matter how impossible, because when Nanoo speaks, you listen, even if it means you go through a field filled with zombies

Tag: anime

0 Nanoo Knows Best