There’s no warm bedside manner or gentle mopping of brows in director Jeffrey Thompson’s dystopian film about healthcare. The animation, Thompson’s graduation film, may feel more sci-fi than ER but it’s very much rooted in his own experiences at the hands of meddling medics. We caught up with Thompson to find out more.

How did you first come up with and develop the idea of Fixed
The idea stemmed for a three year hiatus I took from school due to problems with my hands. I was not able to draw or write for most of that time, and I was constantly Visiting hospitals and different physiotherapists. Some were great, others, not so much.

There’s a real dystopian, sinister, sci-fi vibe to the film – where did that influence come from?

That originated from the not so good experiences I had with health professionals, and the health care system in Canada in general.

What was the biggest challenge you faced creating the film?

One of the biggest challenges was making sure that it was going to be realistic to complete in the given time frame. From start to finish I spent about 6 months on the film. Having such a tight deadline and trying to reach a quality that you are proud of was not easy, and compromises had to be made for sure.

What first drew you to animation?

I have always been interested in animation. From a very early age I had planned on working in the industry. Early Disney films were a huge influence on me, today my interest in he craft has only grown as technology has helped fuel bigger and better films.

Now that you’ve graduated, what are your plans for the future?

I am currently working in the industry as a visual development artist in Toronto for TV, and would like to move on to working in feature films.