Wanda & Miles (2007)

In this coming-of-age tale, adolescent Miles narrates his memories of his single mother, Wanda, an eye patch–wearing, former sex worker. Both mother and child are a nomadic unit, regularly relocating their home base with stuffed suitcases in hand. Paired with the invisible handiwork of stop-motion animation, Chan visually choreographs her characters in artful tableaux, intimating both depth and distance in Miles’ filial bond with Wanda. Marrying an endearing voiceover with elegantly lit and intricately stylized visual compositions, Chan’s tender, parental ode employs hand-constructed dollhouses and hand gestures to illustrate the migratory tethers of memory and family.