Animation Off-Limits: The Life of Puppets
From Starewitch to Trnka and Pojar, puppet animation has gained the distinction it deserves. However, the six films making up this programme are shaking up the traditional notion of puppet animation. While they indeed fall within the realm of puppetry, they are at the same time pushing back the boundaries of animation.
The Last Bus, awarded in Stuttgart, Clermont-Ferrand and Ljubljana, stirred controversy wherever it was presented. In the same way, the majority of animation festivals turned their backs on Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski's film, Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life, despite the enormous success of Madame Tutli-Putli.
The duo offers us the chance here to premiere their most recent opus, Cochemare. This film will probably stimulate discussion, as it uses many tricks and special effect techniques to illustrate the erotic dream of an astronaut.
While Kirk Hendry (Round) and Johannes Nyholm (Dreams from the Woods) use shadow puppets, Nyholm has also directed Las Palmas, where a baby plays the role of an unashamed drunkard who devastates a holiday village. This clever idea shows how the director of The Tale of Little Puppetboy works with quirky and irreverent humour.
With this programme, animation's prodigal children are finally returning to the fold.
Marcel JEAN
CITIA