Jenny Jokela’s ‘Sweet Like Lemons’ Is A Bittersweet Exploration Of A Toxic Relationship

Jenny Jokela’s Sweet Like Lemons offers a bittersweet exploration of a toxic relationship, paired with stunning visual artistry.

The film follows a woman attempting to craft an email message to a former lover, urging him to leave her life for good. As she searches for the right words, she reflects on their relationship — a time when she lost her sense of self to a more dominant and overpowering partner.

Jokela’s beautifully painted, surreal imagery vividly captures the chaos, frustration, and pain of a toxic bond. Through her reflections, she realizes that sometimes the best path forward is found in silence.

Jokela is a Finnish animation director and illustrator based in the U.K. She graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2017 with an MA in Animation. Her graduation film, Barbeque, has won multiple awards, including the Cristal for a graduation film at Annecy in 2018. In her vibrant and expressive personal work, she explores visualizing the invisible — feelings and emotions — often focusing on themes of sexuality and trauma.

Sweet Like Lemons benefited from the NEF Animation Residency at Abbaye de Fontevraud, Odyssée Program – ACCR, with the support of the French Ministry of Culture, the Pays de la Loire region, and the CNC. Additionally, the project received a grant from Svenska Kulturfonden in Finland.