Courtesy of University College for the Creative Arts, Farnham

This was Carolina Lopez Caballero's graduation film at Farnham (now Surrey Institute of Art and Design), but has a strength and confidence of vision which is unusual in student work.

The technique mixes three dimensional work, boiling watercolour, thick paint, ink and collage. The mark-making mixes roughness and calligraphic grace. The film tells a dreamlike story of a king who is attracted to the singing of a mysterious woman. He is disappointed when she turns out to have the head and neck of a swan and finds it difficult to fit into her new role as Queen. The king has her fitted with a new head, which renders her blind and ungraceful. She casts off the head and the role of Queen and flies off with the swans.

The film's strong visual style is complemented with a strong soundtrack, designed by Michael Dempsey. The fairytale setting, mixed with an undercurrent of political comment on women's place in society, connects this to other films by women animators such as Vera Neubauer and Marjut Rimminen.

Caballero has now moved back to her native Spain, where she is a very effective animation programmer, organising the Animation section of the prestigious Sitges Film Festival.

Ruth Lingford

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