Contedis

Nils Axen received a grant for the development of a new film. Contedis is an animated film exploring queer expat identity in today’s shifting, multipolar world. Told in "Birrean", an invented language spoken by bird characters, the film follows Cyenott, a slightly unsavory queer expat drawn to Cahin, a Birrean-speaking business hub. Immersed in an elite expat bubble, Cyenott navigates the privileges and alienations of a class defined by language identity. Flying through nefarious corporate HQ's, company yacht parties, hermetic commercial mall spaces, underground queer nightlife and even a bird orgy, Contedis is a fantastical yet critical gaze into the intersectionality of the queer expat world.

Nils is an Amsterdam-based artist blending architecture, pop-culture and invented language. He creates animations and sculptures using "Birrean," an invented language spoken by bird characters developed for over two decades, exploring how language shapes cultural perceptions and realities.