Shannon Muir’s Take on the Animation World

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held tonight a lecture and showing of four shorts (three nominated and one winner) by Canadian female animators.  It was an incredible diverse evening, from work directly to cel to paint pushed under the camera to oils/rotoscoping to traditional 2D.  The four were THE TENDER TALE OF CINDERELLA PENGUIN (directed by Janet Perlman), THE STREET (Caroline Leaf), WHEN THE DAY BREAKS (Amanda Tilby and Amanda Forbis) and THE DANISH POET (Torrill Kove).  I think my favorite of the four was THE DANISH POET. 

If you haven’t seen this, do!  I admit foreign animation is relatively new to me (at least non-Japanese ones, the only other one I’ve seen is the TRIPLETS OF BELVILLE), but this is so amazing on so many levels.  Persepolis is good story and character, and even more powerful is that it is based on a autobiographical graphic novel from one of the two people behind the film.  It follows the true story of her growing up during the overthrow of the Shah in Iran and the times forward.  I saw it in its native French in subtitles as well (and I struggle with subtitles) yet I could follow everything about it.  I don’t want to give away more save that it is one of the most incredible animated films I’ve seen this year.