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Lysander Wong
Foreign Bodies
TNC FILM INTERVIEW | 2026
Scottish Queer International Film Festival
Image © Lysander Wong
Oct 28, 2026
A simple itch descends into an outbreak with many legs. Certain things will always find their way to the surface. An exploration into the horror of having a body, of unbelonging.
Hey Lysander, thank you so much for talking with me ahead of Foreign Bodies screening at SQIFF. How does it feel to be part of this years festival?
I’m excited to be a part of SQIFF this year! The film is inspired by my personal experiences of transness, so it’s always lovely to be a part of a queer festival and share it with more viewers. I’m also very honoured to have it screened with such a great selection of other animated films.
You have had an incredible festival run with Foreign Bodies, picking up several awards including Best Student Film at Cardiff Animation Festival. What has it meant to you to get this type of recognition for this film?
I never expected for my film to receive so much recognition, especially as a horror film, so it’s amazing that it has been so well-received. I think it’s a good sign that audiences want more queer, hand-crafted, human stories.
With Foreign Bodies being your graduate film, has it been hard letting go of the film and hand it over to audiences?
I am a big proponent of letting art develop a life of its own, so quite the opposite. I also love hearing how other people interpret the film, especially with its rather ambiguous ending, as that’s part of the fun in making art.
What is it about festivals like SQIFF that are so important for short queer films?
Community is so important, and festivals like SQIFF offer a space and platform to connect and engage with fellow filmmakers and audiences. There are also always more short queer films that deserve to be seen and appreciated, and it’s events like these that are uplifting these voices.
What does queer cinema mean to you?
I didn’t have access to a lot of queer cinema growing up, so it’s great to see so much more of it now and to have places that champion these types of stories.
What role can cinema still play in being a platform to challenge/support/encourage our understanding of cultures and collective experience?
With cinema, you get to see through someone else’s eyes. What I love about animation specifically is that you also get to see through their perception of the world and of movement. I think these glimpses give us insights into individual and collective experiences, and remind us that we are all human and alive and real.
Can you tell me a little bit about how Foreign Bodies came about? What inspired this film?
I love body horror, and I think the trans experience fits so perfectly with that structure of a loss of ownership over your own body. I also love bugs, and so it made sense then to make a film about both these things. I wanted the film to capture the disconnect I’ve felt towards my body, exploring the tension of both possessing a body that is not your own and residing within a skin that is limiting.
What are the biggest challenges you faced making a paper cutout stop-motion short film?
The biggest challenge was probably the time constraint. I spent many late evenings and weekends in the studio filming, and only barely finished it by the deadline. This also meant that there was no way for me to return to a scene and reshoot any part of it (including the shots that had received a lot of critique from my tutors), but I think it came together in the end regardless. It’s also part of the joy and the appeal of stop-motion, to embrace the human touch and all of our errors.
Looking back is there anything you would have done differently on Foreign Bodies?
I definitely spent too much time in the pre-production process. There was a long period where this film sat as this nebulous concept while I agonised over the narrative, when I really just needed to start filming and figure it out from there. After I started, the pieces just fell into place.
Where did your passion for film come from?
I think I spend a lot of time thinking about how things move. As such, it is perhaps more of a passion for animation, and film just happened to be attached to that.
How much did your time on the MA Character Animation programme at Central Saint Martins help to inform your approach to your filmmaking?
I started my masters having only had a little experience in 2D animation, so the programme was incredibly valuable in developing my stop-motion voice and providing the space to experiment with different mediums.
What has been the most surprising thing you’ve discovered about yourself since you started out?
I wasn’t particularly into film while growing up, so I think it’s interesting how I am now so immersed in this world. I suppose that’s how it is when you find something you love, but I’m grateful to have gotten to this point and am always learning more about myself.
"...I find animation generally tends to work itself once you get started."
Will you continue to push the boundaries of the stories you want to tell?
I hope so. I want to keep experimenting in my work, with different mediums, narratives, structures.
Is there a film you’ve seen that’s had an impact on you?
I watch a lot of animated shorts, but one from early in my animation journey that has stayed with me is “I’m OK” by Elizabeth Hobbs.
What has been the best piece of advice you’ve been given by a fellow filmmaker, and paying it forward is there any advice you would offer anyone making their own short film?
To just start animating. I can get stuck in my head sometimes, but I find animation generally tends to work itself once you get started. And even if it doesn’t, you’ll figure it out. I remind myself of this a lot. Go make the film you want to make.
And finally, is there a message you would like your audience to take away from Foreign Bodies?
It will work out in the end, even if you happen to be a bug.