Szymon Ruczyński was born in Hajnówka, Poland, in 2000. He is a student of animation at the Łódź Film School. He grew up in Białowieża, a village in the center of the ancient Białowieża Forest, which is the source of inspiration for his award-winning films “Reason” and “The Wildwood Diptych.” In 2021 and 2022 Szymon participated in bringing humanitarian aid to the refugees hiding in the forest. He uses mixed animation techniques to tell stories about socially relevant problems he witnesses.