Cut-Out Puppet Doc 'Stranger Than Rotterdam' sets the Sundance world premiere

The incredible true story behind one of the seminal films of the American indie film movement comes to life Stranger Than Rotterdam with Sara Driver - an animated documentary short with cut out puppets that will have its world premiere during the esteemed Sundance Film Festival 2022 (online, January 20-30). The film tells how a fearless producer went above and beyond the call of duty to help shoot Jim Jarmusch's absurd short film. Stranger from paradise in a successful feature film.

The first in a planned series of films about directors' early career difficulties, the piece is directed and produced by Lewie Kloster and Noah Kloster, brothers and founders of the Brooklyn animation group Tall Glass with Ice (Legal smuggling with Christine Choy, Slinging Hash with Laurie Lindeen); written, narrated and experienced by director / actress Sara Driver (Boom for real, when the pigs fly).

In the animated retelling, Driver explains how when Jarmusch's 1983 short was selected for the famous Rotterdam Film Festival, it was the perfect opportunity to secure funding for the feature film. The only problem: the festival only had the money to get the director out. With Jarmusch being more of an "ideas guy" than a planner, Driver had to be there to talk to the financiers. The then director of the Rotterdam Film Festival, Huub Bals, devised a plan to have Sara Jim accompany her on her journey: if she carries the personal imprint of Robert Frank of C *** or blues, the only one in existence.

Since its release, the vulgarity of the 1972 film Rolling Stones US Tour, directed by Robert Frank and Danny Seymour, has sparked outrage and legal problems: Mick Jagger personally wanted the film destroyed. Above all, however, it was illegal to transport pornography internationally. So, with a title like that, Driver would surely have been stopped by someone ...

Stranger Than Rotterdam with Sara Driver will have its world premiere at Sundance as part of the US Nonfiction Shorts section on Thursday, January 20 at 11am EST.

TRAILER | Stranger Than Rotterdam with Sara Driver from Tall Glass with Ice on Vimeo.

Sundance's selection of US animated shorts will feature world premieres of Nicole Stafford the HORK e We are here, a reflection on the experience of the young American immigrant by Doménica Castro and Constanza Castro; as well as that of Chenglin Xie Meal on the plate (formerly North American) and that of Renee Zhan Soft animals.

The International Animation lineup presents the world premiere of Son by Jonatan Schwenk (Germany), American / North American / International premieres of captivating titles The fourth wall by Mahboobeh Kalae (Iran), Goodbye Jerome! by Gobelins students Gabrielle Selnet, Adam Sillard & Chloé Farr, Socrates' adventure underground by Aria Covamonas (Mexico), Sweet Nothing by Joana Fischer & Marie-Christine Kenov (Switzerland) and shortlisted for the Oscar Bestia Hugo Covarrubias (Chile), plus Joe Hsieh Night bus (Taiwan) and Rendang of death by Percolate Galactic and Yujin Sick (Indonesia).