Trailer released for ‘A Bear Named Wojtek’ from Illuminated Films
Illuminated Films have released a full trailer for their animated half-hour special A Bear Named Wojtek, a story of a troop of Polish soldiers displaced by the Second World War who find an inseparable bond through an orphaned bear they name Wojtek.
Directed by Iain Gardner, whose film career includes roles on The Thief and the Cobbler, Ethel & Ernest and The Canterbury Tales as well as short films including 2010’s The Tannery, the special “tells the fantastic journey of an orphaned Syrian brown bear who was adopted by Polish soldiers during World War II, becoming a beacon of hope and an emblem of their fate”.
With upcoming screenings scheduled at ANIMA Córdoba and Aesthetica following its recent premiere at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, A Bear Named Wojtek is written by Wojciech Lepianka, produced by Iain Harvey and Wlodzimierz Matuszewski with music by Normand Roger.
Our story follows the Polish 22nd Artillery Corps during WWII who adopt an orphaned Syrian Brown Bear as their mascot – naming him ‘Wojtek’. The theme of people displaced by conflict is, sadly, forever relevant. Whilst based on true events, our film is not an animated documentary. I am interested in how within our cultures and traditions we create mythologies in nature to reflect our human experience. Wojtek becomes a metaphor for the refugee.
-Iain Gardner, Director
This is an emotional story, not just because it is true (though the film makes no pretence of being a documentary) but through the extraordinary parallels of recent events: the Covid pandemic restricting movement and then the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The agony of losing loved ones and the plight of refugees is symbolised by the history of Wojtek the Bear. Coupled with the beautiful artwork and the haunting music by Normand Roger, it is a film that will never lose its appeal.
-Iain Harvey, Producer
For the latest on the film follow A Bear Named Wojtek on Instagram