Annecy 2013: Films in Competition 3
It is always hard to tell what the selection committee at Annecy try to achieve when they put together programmes of competition short films, their choices are about as predictable as the weather. You may be greeted with a selection of abstract films with a comedic short thrown in the middle of it all or two extremely similar films back to back. it would seem that as the week goes on the festival seems to be showing its lighter side and overall the films seem to be getting better with each passing day. A bit like the weather.
Trespass
Paul Wenninger – Austria
One of the best pixilation films I have seen in a very long time. Paul Wenningers world grows around him as he takes off on a voyage that seems to take him wherever he wishes, as he begins to reach for objects they change as he reaches for them so you can never predict what it is he is doing. The background is never constant either as he switches between town and the countryside, land and sea in a way that is constantly captivating. This film is a tremendous achievement. Thumbs up for the continuity guy.
The Event
Julia Pott – USA
A horrible experience is replayed in reverse with comparatively mundane events recited by the narrators. There seemed to be a lot of build up to the ending where nothing much happened. Still, a very interesting film that is worth watching.
Maman
Ugo Bienvenu, Kevin Manach – France
The mundane life of a family is briefly glimpsed in this film and from our outside point of view they seem very odd indeed. The artwork is excellent and it is nice to see full animation done with such detail.
Dog Skin
Nicolas Jacquet – France
No doubt the weirdest shaggy dog story you will see this year. A dog steals sausages from a butcher in a world where food rationing dictates every purchase of food is validated with ID. The dog finds a dead mans coat in an alleyway and slowly and steadily becomes more and more human, loosing his fur and snout. Following the clues left in his jacket the dog finds his way to his fate. The style of this film reminded me of I am not an Animal although not in a distracting way.
Zounk
Billy Roisz – Austria
Considering the festival is for animation I was a little insulted to see this on the screen. A music video is accompanied by lines across a screen that change colour and size with no real correlation to the music. That’s it. The stripes tartan at one point but do nothing else. If I was insulted I imagine those rejected from the festival must have been too. Seriously Annecy?
The Caketrope of Burton’s Team
Alexandre Dubosc – France
Tim Burtons film work is summed up in a cake zoetrope by Alexandre Dbosc. Does this guy do parties?
Kick-Heart
Masaaki Yuasa – Japan
A matcho and sexually charged bout of Lucha libre fighting. The wrestling matches are an explosion of colour and form, very graphic and visually violent. Whilst this film is Japanese in origin I feel the style and movement of the characters owe a lot to Ralph Bakshi. This films energy and spirit won over the audience with ease.
History of Pets
Kris Genijn – Netherlands
A hilarious deadpan look at the long list of pets that died in custody of the narrator. Every cause of death isn’t quite predictable which leads to snappy punchlines and well paced gags. The design of the short is outstanding with a graphic Genndy Tartakovsky meets cubism feel to it. Style meets substance very well in this short.
Les Souvenirs
Renaud Martin – France
After a life of happiness a devoted husband has to watch his wife slowly loose her mind over the course of four seasons. The memory loss manifests itself as ghosts that expel from the elderly wife as she sits by the window. The husbands devotion to her plight is touching and dealt with in a sensitive way in terms of design and action. This film was without dialogue but the representation of loss was demonstrated with ease. A beautiful film.
Les Souvenirs
A Monster in the Reservoir
Sung Gang Lee – South Korea
The simple use of colour of this film helped set the various moods and story stages with ease. The overall design of the work was a calming influence on the story.
A Girl Named Elastika
Guillaume Blanchet – Canada
Elastic bands and pins are the characters and a pin board is the set in this stop motion piece which serves as a showcase for this style of stop motion as the character goes on a trip through the highs and lows of life into space and beyond the sea.