Annecy 2012: Films in Competiton Two
Here we take a break from getting drunk in Captain Pub and eating too much Tartiflette to give you a look at the films in competition programme two from this years Annecy. All in all a nice viewing, with some of the more bizarre and challenging tales balanced nicely against the light hearted and entertaining ones.
Chinti
Dir: Natalia Mirzoyan (Russia)
A visually interest piece in which an Ant wishes to impress with its building skills in the shadow of the mighty Taj Mahal. The style of this film is beautiful and unique and the direction is well thought out too.
Nightingales in December
Dir: Theodore Ushev (Canada)
Unlike most animations done in a painting on glass/paper style this film has a pace and a vibrancy that defines itself from the others. Although the imagery is sometimes repetitive and there is no distinctive narrative the surrealist journey is one worth viewing.
Combustible
Dir: Katsuhiro Otomo (Japan)
Presented on parchment and bordered in the style for quite a while this film tells a tale of two young adults who don’t quite get it together. A huge fire engulfs the town and yeah yeah you get the idea. This film was visually confusing in parts as we switched between clearly CGI characters and more considered 2D drawings which is always a little bit of a let down for me. Maybe that’s just me though.
Fresh Guacamole
Dir: PES (USA)
The audience loved this film, with each gag there was an audible laugh from the viewers as we were taught how to make Guacamole using anything but food. A very enjoyable film that never fails to amuse.
Audition
Dir: Udo Prinsen (Netherlands)
An audition in which everything is a stake takes place in a prison. When our hero steps up to the stand his music moves and inspires the deadly judges as we take a journey through a floating fantasy land, transported through music. This film is created using finger prints and wax crayons in a very simplistic style.
The People That Never Stop
Dir: Florian Piento (French Japan)
A seemingly unending torrent of commuters walk along a path and seem unfazed by earthquakes, gangsters and heart attacks. A tsunami seems to bring them all closer together as they pause for reflection. At times funny and a times sensitive this is an odd but fun mix to see but above all a charming film.
Some Actions Which Haven’t Been Defined Yet in the Revolution
Dir: Xun Sun (China)
Whilst this film needs to be credited for its innovative use of woodcuttings in place of a standard animation technique its wonderful detail and unique style get somewhat dragged down by the length of the piece as well as the appalling soundtrack which seemed designed to induce headaches. I did enjoy the visuals and the way the woodcuttings played with light and shade however the other factors did irreparable damage to such a promising film.
Tram
Dir: Michaela Pavlatova (France)
A tram drivers sexual desires bring a touch of colour to an otherwise grey and dreary commute. This woman clearly loves her job too much as a Sigmund Freud style trip turns to a sexual imagery field day. Its quite light hearted in nature even though it gets pornographic at times.
Pythagasaurus
Dir: Peter Peake (UK)
Some films appear in the Annecy schedules that are like little treats, rewarding you for sitting through a plethora of the absurd and the bizarre and this film is such. The british comedy and the perfect pacing make for a fantastic viewing experience.
Father
Dir: Ivan Bogdanov, Moritz Mayerhofer, Asparuh Petrov, Veljko Popovic, Rositsa Raleva, Dmitry Yagodin. (Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany)
A dark look into some bad relationships between Father and Child. Told from the child’s point of view and presented in 5 distinctive styles that do not upset the balance of one another. It is nice to see a film put together in this way even if the narrative is not to my own personal taste.