“Where does my illness go after I get well?”
… This is the galvanizing question behind Psychonauts (Psihonauti), an internationally acclaimed stop-motion short film out of Croatia, which has qualified for Oscar consideration after winning Best Short Animation at Guanajuato International Film Festival, among other honors from Annecy, Animafest, ASIFA Croatia, and more than 30 festival selections. While the limitless visualization possibilities of animation have often been used to explore mental health with deeply personal perspectives, Psychonauts is the result of a very special collaboration between filmmaker-sculptor Niko Radas (The Unusual Bath of Mister Otmar) and a collective of 71 in-patients of the secure forensic ward at University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče in Zagreb, the oldest such institution in Croatia.
Crafted as part of a clinical art therapy program led by Radas, every aspect of Psychonauts — from writing, to the puppet, set and prop building that went into their in-ward “city” of Pharmapolis, to the physical animation — was undertaken by the patient collaborators, each step undertaken with informed consent and the guarantee of anonymity. Only after seeing the completed eight-minute film did the collective agree to release it into the world, having created it in a space secured to protect both the authenticity of their voices and their future reintegration into society. The final vignettes offer a compelling glimpse into how these artists view their illnesses, and what leaving them behind could mean.
Animation Magazine had the opportunity to learn more about the fascinating, therapeutic process that went into this award-winning film in a recent interview with Radas and Vrapče Hospital representatives Director Professor Petrana Brečić and Associate Professor Marko Ćurković, conducted over email.
How did the collaboration between Niko Radas and the University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče come about?
Niko Radas has been a full-time employee of the University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče (public hospital in Zagreb, Croatia) for almost 20 years now. He first began working at the hospital as a final-year sculpture student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. At the beginning, he led a rather usual art workshop for hospital patients, using exclusively visual art techniques. Over time, we started using music and, later, also animated films. During this whole time, Niko has become more than a valuable team member: working alongside medical professionals, he offers a different kind of support, using animation as another language for patients to work and speak in, alongside medical treatment.
Can you describe how the concept, story and look of the short were developed between the director and the patients’ collective?
People are in our psychiatric hospital because they need treatment and support, and as part of that process, we offer creative activities that can support their recovery.
In the case of Psychonauts, a group of people in treatment started working with us on a shared project: building a city out of wooden slats. At one point, they decided to paint the city and turn it into pill boxes, inventing imaginary names and brands for medicines such as Dizzytex, Serotonix and Saliva Pharma. This is how ‘Pharmapolis’ was born. From there, questions just started building up: “Who lives in this city? What happens there?” These questions opened up a space of imagination and reflection and gradually developed into the theme and concept for an animated film.
Were there any key artistic or narrative inspirations?
As the process unfolded, people would at some point spontaneously begin to reflect on their situation and their mental health condition. In these ongoing conversations, they started to share their own images and ways of describing what they were going through. Together, we transformed these personal stories into a script, and the film continued to grow from there. Some scenes are almost literally taken from these conversations. For example, one woman described her experience of depression by saying, “It’s as if the bed grabs me and won’t let go.” That is exactly how we decided to film it.
How were therapeutic practices and production workflow combined during the process?
As workshop mediators, we always offer activities based on patients’ needs, skills and preferences. Based on that, together with the patient, we define the tasks in which they can express themselves freely. It can be something as simple as drawing, painting or modelling, or something more structured — linked to the development of a specific creative piece, such as Psychonauts.
To preserve the therapeutic purpose, everything must stay within the realm of play. When patients take part in any phase of production — for example, animating the characters — it is crucial that there isn’t too much repetition, if any, because otherwise we could overburden them and the therapeutic value could be lost. The key is that all that emerges is a by-product of the therapeutic process.
However, this also means that there is more work to do in post-production, because there are many small imperfections that need to be polished. That work is done by Filip Gašparović Melis, our long-standing collaborator, who is already used to this way of working.
When professionals join the project, Niko’s role also changes: “I stop being a therapist and step into the role of director.”
What was the greatest benefit of this project — for the patients, the institution, the filmmaking team?
As you can see, we strongly believe that recovery is possible even in the most challenging situations. That’s what we work and live up to. It’s often just a matter of the right approach or a different perspective. The benefit of such activities is that people in treatment are invited to focus and explore their own recovery while also working on materialization of something that is shared. In a forensic setting, this is especially important because daily life is highly structured, including many necessary but somewhat limiting safety protocols. Working on projects like this offers a safe opportunity for working with and alongside others, rebuilding mutuality and trust. In a sense, it’s a kind of rehearsal for a life that awaits them once they leave the hospital, allowing them to make choices, build relationships, take responsibilities and contribute to shared aims. This strengthens their sense of agency and achievement and supports their self-esteem and self-confidence.
For the institution, these animation projects are of great importance because they draw attention to people who are stigmatized and marginalized. Also, working in this way allows all of us to talk directly about what many people are afraid of — mental health conditions — but to translate these experiences into images and stories that make them more approachable and easier to relate to. Over time, the film-making process itself has proved to be a valuable tool against stigma and prejudice, affecting not only people in treatment but also the hospital itself as a place where they receive care.
And what was the biggest challenge?
It was very demanding to produce a film inside a hospital, where we don’t have anything like professional studio conditions. That pushed us to be inventive and improvise solutions; paradoxically, the lack of gear became a spark for creativity. For example, to achieve a smooth 360° camera move, our whole team repurposed a sculptor’s rotating stand and synchronized it with the key light, then animated the setup frame by frame — micro-adjusting rotation, parallax and focus to keep the movement fluid without introducing jitter.
How long did it take to complete the film?
Psychonauts was started in late 2018. It was completed and premiered at the beginning of 2025 in our hospital at Zagreb’s Museum Night, a public event we have proudly taken part in since its beginnings. Over that period, 71 people receiving treatment at the University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče took part in the project. In addition to shaping the idea and concept for the film, they designed and built all the sets that appear on screen and lent their voices to the film’s music.
What sort of practical or digital tools were used in the production? Did you work with any other studios or film professionals to complete it?
We mostly relied on improvised, low-tech tools and continuous problem-solving — home DIY gear for set building, wooden slats and a rotating sculptor’s stand. For camera movement, we used simple motorized sliders where helpful, since the camera is in motion for much of the film, and animated the rest by hand. For a few sequences made in collaboration with Zagreb Film, we also had access to a higher-grade camera, while keeping the same handmade, stop-motion workflow.
For the software, we worked with specialized stop-motion animation tools and professional color-grading, editing and compositing programs in post-production.
The project is led by the Croatian Association of Digital Artists and the University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, with Zagreb Film as co-producer, providing part of the equipment used for the shoot. Croatian sound artist Luka Gamulin has outstandingly translated both the visual portrayal and the authors’ interpretations of mental health conditions into a cohesive sonic experience.
Niko, who were your early artist, filmmaker or animator idols? What inspired you to apply your fine arts skills to animation and film?
For Psychonauts, we, the authors, explored different lighting approaches by studying various films, and ultimately found that a combination of cold and warm light — like the atmosphere in Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 — best suited the mood of our film.
Personally, I would mention the Croatian animator and Oscar winner Dušan Vukotić, who truly pushed the boundaries of animation in his time; his Surogat [The Substitute, 1961] still feels just as fresh and relevant 70 years later, especially in how it captures themes of loneliness and the absence of genuine human connection.
My interest in animation had been simmering since early youth, and when I came to Vrapče Hospital, I thought it could be an interesting and challenging activity for the people I work with — and this turned out to be true. I am a sculptor, and for me, stop-motion animation is a kind of sculpture in motion; the figures move and even speak.
Have you received any memorable feedback on the process and/or the completed film from the patients who participated?
The very fact that professionals were later involved in the project was flattering to them, and they began to experience their role with greater responsibility. The premiere screening of Psychonauts was organized at Vrapče Hospital, accompanied by an exhibition of the sets. On that occasion, some of the patients had the opportunity to experience the audience’s reaction to their film directly. This was very important, because it was then that they truly became aware of the importance of their role in the whole process. The premiere screening of Psychonauts was attended by 850 people; this kind of innovative approach to working with people experiencing mental health difficulties attracts great interest in the community.
One of the patients, who has since recovered, even mentioned in his CV while job hunting that he had participated in the production of an animated short film, not knowing at the time that it would later qualify for the Oscars.
How about the film festival experiences that have stuck with you?
Psychonauts has done extremely well on the festival circuit. Internationally, we are especially proud of the award for Best Animated Film at the Guanajuato International Film Festival and the Special Mention at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. In Croatia, the film has received all the major national awards; in particular, the prize for Best Croatian Film at Animafest and the award for Best Professional Film on International Animation Day, organized by ASIFA Croatia. At the Days of Croatian Film, it also received the award for Best Set Design — a prize that was, finally, formally given to a group of authors, which makes us even more proud.
The paradox, of course, is that these authors have to remain anonymous: partly for legal reasons, and partly because anonymity gives them better chances for social reintegration. These are major achievements for us, because we come from a somewhat unexpected direction — psychiatry — so we tend to be the outsiders at festivals (and, we say this with a touch of irony, in life as well). This is a truly authentic voice of people experiencing mental health difficulties, and we can see that it has a strong impact on audiences. We believe that many viewers can recognize something of their own experience in the film, either directly or through people close to them.
What do you hope audiences feel most deeply and remember most strongly after seeing Psychonauts?
We believe many viewers are surprised by the film’s level and quality — especially since it is made by non-professionals and emerges as a by-product of a therapeutic process.
With this film, we hope the public recognizes that people experiencing mental health difficulties are not just a diagnosis. Psychonauts highlights the many roles and identities they still hold — despite a current situation of limited freedom. In this case, they are authors, filmmakers and storytellers, able to share their experiences with wider audiences who may not live with these conditions.
Ultimately, Psychonauts tells the story in the voices of those who live through what many of us fear — and they tell it in a way that helps us name our feelings, making them easier to understand and process.
Will there be another animated film collaboration between UPHV and Niko in the future?
Sure thing! At the University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, we have been using animated film as a therapeutic medium for 20 years now.
It is also important to say that this is not our first successful project of this kind. Psychonauts is actually the second fully completed animated film created together with people who are our patients, alongside many other projects that never needed to complete the full production cycle to be successful — they fulfilled their therapeutic purpose and ended there.
What would be your best piece of advice for other artists and institutions who are interested in a similar program?
What helped us was starting with respect. In the forensic setting, safety, structure and teamwork with clinical staff are foundational. Nonetheless, we all still choose to look beyond a person’s diagnosis and notice their abilities, interests and potential for recovery.
Playfulness is essential regardless of the conditions, so the work doesn’t become rigid or merely task-driven, and the real success is the safe space where people can participate, express themselves, and feel their contribution matters.
Psychonauts continues to screen in festivals around the world. You can see more of Niko Radas’ work and follow the film’s journey on Instagram @niko_radas.
Watch the new teaser trailer below:
