(Poster for Friedrich)
Grief from losing four relatives and a dog during the pandemic led A.D.M Moore to explore his feelings through a beautiful live action/animation hybrid film called Friedrich.
The writer and director turned his attention to editing while dealing with his feelings of mourning and isolation. For the titular Friedrich, it’s animation.
“Friedrich reflected me,” Moore said. “I was lost and distraught, I had to express myself some way. I realised that was a story within itself, someone suffering from grief and finding a way to express themselves.”
The film is in black and white to show the character’s depression, but Moore also looked to iconic director Tim Burton for inspiration.
“As an animator at Disney, Burton felt like a zombie, and I remember reading that and thinking it’s something that could happen to Friedrich. He can make his film, end up with a big producer, which makes him feel trapped between his job and the person he loves.”
In the film, Friedrich isn’t happy with his life until he stumbles upon a bit of clay and discovers a whole new artform. He creates his own animated films, bringing purpose and meaning to his life.
Ignoring the usual student film cliché of guns or shallow dramas on topics they don’t know anything about, Moore explored something both surreal and intimate. It was a move that paid off.
Friedrich secured its official premiere at the 2025 WLV Screen Awards and won the Best Fiction Film award.
“I never had a roomful of people watch my film,” Moore said. “It’s a film that has been sitting in my head for a while and I was scared to film it. It was a nice experience – I really liked it.”
The film wears its influences on its sleeve.
“Vincent (1982) is a clear example, the way it was presented as a narrated poem. The animation style, Jack Stauber was a big part of that. His Claymation style, the unsettling nature of it. When he’s talking about his unusual grin, it’s a reflection on himself. The black & white was inspired by Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), those types of old films. It bites into that gothic fairytale; I wanted to try and go for something that you could tell was not real.”
(Still from Friedrich)
The festival also screened another film he helped produce, Lana Millard’s Dealing with Type 1.
“It was very fun to film even though the source material is quite heavy,” he said. “I’m not a big fan of documentaries but filming them and getting the people, I enjoy.”
(Poster for Dealing with Type 1)
What’s next for A.D.M Moore?
“I love film. I love the idea of monsters, aliens, and horror. Doctor Who was a very big thing when I was a kid. I’m still a massive fan even to this day. But I’m mainly a big editing guy.
“I’ll get Friedrich through the film festival circuit, maybe put it on YouTube – get some eyes on it. I’ve got an idea for a documentary on the making of Friedrich. I’ve got a load of behind-the-scenes videos, we had so much fun making the film. Stressful – don’t get me wrong. But most projects are like that.”
(Photo of A.D.M. Moore on the set of Friedrich)
Find A.D.M Moore on his Instagram account where you can follow his career and more news about Friedrich: @anth0ny_m00re_13
By Moe Acharki
Edited by Mat Growcott
