Cartoon Movie Wrap-Up: our world seen through the eyes of artists

March 15 2022

Cartoon Movie returned as a live event in Bordeaux for the first time in two years, but the atmosphere was mitigated by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine: almost everyone in attendance had colleagues or friends who were directly affected. From opening speeches to many heartfelt conversations, the plight of the Ukrainian people was the first thing on people's minds. And so, when the trailer for Alberto Vázquez's Unicorn Wars movie was shown during the preview session on the first morning, depicting an evil army of teddy bears invading a magical forest and slaughtering unicorns, but getting their punishment in creepy and hyperviolent ways. , here was a big round of applause: a statement on the absurdity of war had never seemed so timely.

Another fitting refugee story was represented by Xilam's The Migrant, a powerful thriller about the journey of a young woman from war-torn Syria to attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea in search of a better life in Europe. Directed by Kan Muftic, drawing on his personal experience fleeing the war, this film appears to be popular with non-animated viewers as well, especially given the unexpected supernatural twist in the plot.

Not all displacement of the population comes directly from the war and the Italian-French co-production Trip to Teulada contrasts the experience of the Syrian immigrant with a lesser-known history of forced exile from a part of Sardinia conquered by NATO for military purposes in 1956. I filmmakers put together watercolor backgrounds with traditional drawn animation to create a loving and nostalgic vision of times gone by.

Mars Express / Little Allan: The Human Antenna / Porcelain Birds

Looking ahead is the long-awaited Mars Express, Jérémie Périn's love letter to Blade Runner, Total Recall, and everything good about science fiction. A brilliant noir film with action and robots, it looks like it won't disappoint the growing fan base eager to see it.

A less cerebral version of science fiction is the Danish comedy Little Allan: The Human Antenna, a 3D film that contains many lines and visual gags but also touches on social issues. Directed by Amalie Naesby Fick and adapted from the original book by Line Knutzon and Peter Frodin, this is a family-friendly film that will make audiences laugh.

By mixing 3D characters with model backgrounds, Porcelain Birds has also received a lot of attention. Aside from combining seamless techniques, creating something that feels like stop-motion but without limitation, the director and screenwriting team of Ru Kawahata and Max Porter have crafted a fish out of water story about friendship, featuring elements of fantasy and a dark subplot that will be intriguing and relevant to its target market for young adults.

Living big / My father's secrets / You are not what I expected

A more traditional stop-motion film, Kristina Dufková's Living Large is a story of coming of age and self-acceptance, which follows a 13-year-old boy named Ben struggling with his weight and the bullying that comes with it. . Seeing all of his schoolmates start puberty and change in front of him, he tries to adapt better to the diet, which isn't quite the answer. Based on the book La Vie, En Gros by Mikaël Ollivier, it is a stimulating but entertaining film that touches on many topics close to both teenagers and parents.

Attendees also got a first look at Claude Barras' next film (My Life as a Zucchini), based on Fabien Toulmé's graphic novel, You're Not The One I Expected, about a father who comes to terms with Down syndrome of his newborn daughter. This stop-motion film will pull your heartstrings.

Another film based on a serious subject, but with a visual approach and style that makes it truly accessible, was My Father's Secrets, about the relationship of acclaimed Israeli cartoonist and author Michel Kichka with his father, a Holocaust survivor who he refuses to discuss his horrific experiences in the concentration camps. Seeing it from his children's perspective and beautifully rendered in 2D with a crisp graphic novel line, it offers a new perspective on a harsh reality.

Magical friends / Mary Anning / Yuku and the Himalayan flower

Not everything presented on Cartoon Movie has a heavy topic, however, and Rémi Durin and Arnaud Demuynck's Yuku and the Himalayan Flower is simply a joy to watch. Animated using Blender in 3D but with 2D sensibility, this is both beautiful and, with a plethora of catchy songs, it sounds great too. Shameless for children, and about a mouse that is on the hunt for a flower that brings eternal light, this is pure escapism, although you may not be able to escape the melodies once they are in your head.

One of the many strengths of European animation is that it finds and tells stories you wouldn't normally be exposed to. Mary Anning by Marcel Barelli tells the childhood of the eponymous XNUMXth century paleontologist, a pioneer in the collection of fossils and an expert in his field at a time when women were discouraged from such a career. And in Magical Friends, written and directed by Natalia Malykhina Bratli, we are introduced to a number of lesser-known creatures from Norwegian folklore.

Sidi Kaba and the Gateway Home / Nayola (top) / Starseed (bottom) / Sultana's dream

Visually, too, Cartoon Movie highlights projects that have an aspect of their own, from the psychedelic Starseed by Anca Damian to the gritty world of Nayola by José Miguel Ribeiro. Rony Hotin's Sidi Kaba and the Gateway Home has a fresh and interesting style, which makes his story about slavery even more compelling. A particularly ambitious approach is that adopted by Isabel Herguera in Sultana's Dream, which mixes three techniques for different stages of the story: watercolor, cutout and mehndi.

This year's Cartoon Movie event featured 57 projects from 19 different countries. Overall, there was such a variety of stories and ways of telling them, but also so many voices and perspectives. Yet there is a sense that European animation still has a lot to offer. And you hope that future world leaders will see some of these films and become more empathetic and compassionate towards their fellowmen as a result.

Andy Blazdell is the CEO of the popular CelAction animation software (celaction. com).

You can watch trailers of selected projects in previous Animation Magazine posts and read more about Cartoon Movie 2022 trends and best projects here.

Pre-recorded presentations can be watched on the Cartoon Movie digital platform until March 31st. Cartoon Movie 2023 will run from 7 to 9 March.

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