Match in a Haystack
Documentary graphics
I led the design and art direction for the titles and graphics of Match in a Haystack, a documentary exploring the tensions between art and war in Ukraine. The film follows a group of dancers who, in the midst of devastation, continue to create beauty — a choice both criticized and deeply conflicted. While soldiers fight and die on the front lines, the dancers grapple with their role and purpose: can art exist in wartime, and might it be part of what we’re ultimately fighting to preserve?
Visually, the design sought to mirror these contradictions. We juxtaposed stark photography from the war — tanks, rubble, blood, soldiers — with footage of dancers in motion, overlaying images of destruction with gestures of grace. The graphics aimed to hold space for both devastation and hope, forcing the viewer to sit in that tension and ask: what is the role of art in a time of crisis?
While our work was not included in the final cut of the film, the collaboration — from conceptual development to motion design execution — remains one we’re deeply proud of.
Art Director & Graphic Designer Ana Simões
Motion Designer & Coordinator Jay Liquori
Year 2024