You’re a Piece of Sheep

Pablo Cardoza

You're a Piece of Sheep is a semi-autobiographical animated short film about a confused sheep learning how to live in the cruel world it was born into. Trapped in a room by an angry shepherd, the sheep cultivates a love-hate relationship with its caretaker. Stuck in a loop of toxicity the sheep inevitably becomes what it fears; a mirror image of its caretaker, the shepherd. This animation is based on my experience growing up and feeling pressure to conform to baseless parental and social expectations. You’re a piece of Sheep depicts the struggle for identity and explores the impacts of childhood trauma. Even when this experience is no longer present, trauma remains present and forever alters one's sense of self. 

 Adverse childhood experiences continue to impact victims as they enter adulthood. Because parents sometimes view their child as an extension of the self, it is common for adults to project their disappointments onto their children. For the child, this behavior can lead to a pattern of self-injury and self-harm, where negative traits are passed down generationally. [1] In You’re a Piece of Sheep, the sheep represents a child who experiences an unfortunate and abusive childhood. The shepherd represents a parent, or adult figure, who struggles with mental health and unknowingly creates a version of themself within the child. This is also known as intergenerational trauma, where symptoms of surviving trauma are passed down to the next generation via learned behavior. Trauma impacts how someone parents and parenting informs how a child thinks and behaves.

As a child, I was influenced by the adults around me. These forces shaped my adult life and taught me what a man should be like and what men should be interested in. As a child, I didn’t have the life experience or knowledge to understand my trauma or even question it. You’re a Piece of Sheep is a visual expression of my story. It acknowledges the cycle of abuse that causes trauma and brings this hidden issue into the public realm.

[1] “Bowen Family Systems Theory.” Vermont Center for Family Studies, May 11, 2020.;
LaGuardia-LoBianco, Alycia W. "Understanding Self-Injury through Body Shame and Internalized Oppression." Philosophy, Psychiatry & Psychology 26, no. 4 (2019): 295-313.; Kottenstette, Sarah, Rachel Segal, Victoria Roeder, Hannah Rochford, Eric Schnieders, Levent Bayman, Devin A. McKissic, et al. "Two-Generational Trauma-Informed Assessment Improves Documentation and Service Referral Frequency in a Child Protection Program." Child Abuse & Neglect 101, (2020): 104327- 104327.