I Live in the Woods! - Max Winston (2008)

¡Yo vivo en el Bosque!

Inglés / English | No Subs

Un risueño leñador lleno de vida en convivencia con su amada naturaleza. La fábula comienza con una muestra del vínculo entre el protagonista y el bosque, podemos verle correr y disfrutar trepando por los árboles mientras aclama cada una de sus acciones eufóricamente, sin perder nunca su entusiasmada sonrisa. Consciente de la celeridad de la vida, cual “tempos fugit”, continua corriendo, saltando, trepando, cantando, consciente de que cada uno de sus actos. Cuando de verdad vemos su ejemplar comportamiento es durante el contacto con las pequeñas criaturas de la naturaleza, los animalitos indefensos del bosque. El leñador, cual “Dersu Uzala”, se encarga de que ningún ser vivo sufra innecesariamente, llegando a valorar sus vidas como la suya propia. El grado de amabilidad llega al extremo de que él mismo, sabedor de la terrible situación que padecen, se ofrece voluntario para, cual "Verdugo", adjudicar una muerte digna a todo el que se le acerque. Decidido a procurar todo el bien posible al bosque, erigirá un trono desde el cual vigilar todo síntoma de maldad. Como no podía ser de otra manera, un ser cruel se presenta desde lo alto pregonando una odiosa melodía, quebrantando la idílica convivencia del protagonista con el cosmos. Sin perder la compostura, haciendo gala de su templanza, el leñador discutirá elocuentemente con el origen del citado resquemor, que impide la pacífica convivencia con la naturaleza. Este señor de los cielos cederá a sus demandas, e incluso, de manera totalmente altruista, dejará su lugar, su trono, su reino, su espacio “vital” al leñador que, accederá sin perder nunca su mueca característica.

Interpretación geopolítica del final alternativo para insaciables de lo maquiavélico (...)

 AndyHug (Filmaffinity)

Cortometraje ganador de varios premios, entre los más importantes figuran el Festival de Sundance: Mención honorable (mejor cortometraje) y el Toronto After Dark Film Festival: Premio de la audiencia, ambos otorgados el año 2008.

"A woodsman's frantic journey, driven by happiness, slaughter, and a confrontation with America's God."

(Vimeo)

"Winston’s stop motion/live action quicky about a wildly violent hillbilly punk is told with the energetic momentum of a Road Runner cartoon, and a fresh Henry Selick meets Terry Gilliam meets Sam Raimi style. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any throughline whatsoever other than the random bombardment of manic energy, pace and bloodsplattering gore. At one point our Hillbilly hero pummels God’s head to smithereens with his boot. Proceed with caution."

(Daily Film Dose)

LINK

https://www.rapidshare.com/files/81301254/2008LiveintheWoods-M.Winston.www.nplus2.org.mp4

Milovan Circus - Gerlando Infuso (2008)

Sin Diálogos / No Dialogue

Narra la historia del ascenso y caída de la carrera de Iakov, un artista circense. Rememorando aquellos momentos de gloria y de amargura, este mimo nos recuerda que el sombrío panorama del espectáculo está direcatamente vinculado a la soledad.

Elaborado con muñecos en Stop-Motion, este cortometraje fue ganador del Audience Award, Anima Bruxelles 2009.

"(...) Gerlando Infuso, a student in animation at La Cambre, developed a plot centred around a character torn between madness and coldness. One year down the line, a new idea has sprouted – a circus artist faced with rejection and age. With « Milovan Circus », Gerlando Infuso revisits the theme of solitude, the poesy of the grim, and stop-motion animation – elements that had contributed to the success of his previous short. The film certainly impressed the Jury at the 2009 Média 10-10 Festival, since it walked off with the Best Soundtrack as well as the Best Digital Image awards.

A dark night, empty streets, dreams, nightmares. In the cages and wagons of Milovan circus, all is asleep, almost all, or about to sleep, after the wiping off of makeup or the last spitting of fire for the day. The wind, though, is still busy at work – a gust blows a poster away, only to reveal another, an older one, reminiscent of the past glories of the Great Iakov. Bare-chested and barefoot, old and grey, he appears in the cracked mirror of his makeup table. Following the contours of his wrinkles, Iakov relives his memories: his precocious talent for magic tricks, his remakable debut in the circus, his rise to fame, his feelings for a fellow-acrobat, his eviction from the circus subsequent to the hiring of an “unnamable creature”, and his downfall reducing him to a street mime artist.

« Milovan Circus » is an interesting film on many levels. As for the form, Gerlando Infuso, when interviewed about « Margot » after Annecy, explained that he found his style in stop-motion animation, after having tried out several other techniques. « Milovan Circus » proves that he was quite right in pursuing this path – his puppets are just as life-like, grim and poetic as in the previous film. With one small difference – « Margot » was constructed with the help of a voice-over représenting the interior monologue of an obsessive protagoniste, whereas « Milovan Circus » has no sound except its musical score. The flashbacks and the lost empty gaze of the hero tell amply of his interiority, his words and his trials. Faced with this bubble glory and its perverse effects (rejection, oblivion, …), the marionnette Iakov remembers with emotion Calvero, a former star of the Music Hall, played by Charlie Chaplin in « Limelight », another left-over of ephemeral fame." 

Katia Bayer (Format Court)

LINK

https://rapidshare.com/files/1406307669/2008MilovanCircus.G.Infuso.www.nplus2.org.mp4

The Heart of Amos Klein - Uri Kranot & Michal Pfeffer (2008)

El corazón de Amos Klein

Sin Diálogos / No Dialogue

Durante un transplante al corazón de Amos Klein, un poderoso e influyente hombre dedicado a la carrera militar, éste recuerda de manera retrospectiva los momentos más importantes de su vida. Cada recuerdo del personaje será correspondientemente recapitulado a partir de algún momento clave de la historia Israelí. 

Un film que, en un personaje arquetípico, condensa la belicosa e inestable situación en que el Estado Israelí se ha forjado desde su fundación.

Las técnicas de animación usadas en la elaboración del film son varias: comenzando por el dibujo sobre papel, además de escenas filmadas en live-action y fotomontaje de material de archivo.

"During a heart transplant operation, as he struggles between life and death, Amos Klein returns to siginificant landmarks over the course of his life. These correspond with key moments in Israeli history.His journey is a reflection of moral corruption, of militarism and indoctrination. 

The film is an allegory to the loss of innocence and compassion; it carries a powerful universal message regarding issues such as patriotism and individuality. While providing a historic and cultural context, the dictinct visual language allows for emotional insight into complex issues; As an animated documentary, the film utilizes technniques unique to the medium, incorporating stylized drawn animation with live-action and archive footage."

(Netherlands Public Broadcasting)

"The journey through Amos Klein’s past unfolds from the end to the beginning, using historic landmarks in Israeli culture and history. Amos Klein’s character although fictitious; is an archetype of a person corrupted by power. As a child Amos is forced to conform to the dictations of a militaristic environment, as he ages he looses his inadequacy along with his compassion. Amos Klein’s actions and choices define not only his character but the society which shaped him.

The film is an allegory of the loss of innocence and compassion; it carries a powerful universal message regarding issues such as patriotism and individuality."

(www.niaf.nl)

LINKS

https://rapidshare.com/files/1885220444/2008HeartofAmosKlein.U.Kranot-M.Pfeffer.www.nplus2.org.part1.rar

https://rapidshare.com/files/173919018/2008HeartofAmosKlein.U.Kranot-M.Pfeffer.www.nplus2.org.part2.rar

The Control Master - Run Wrake (2008)

No Dialogue / Sin Diálogos

Es un delirante mundo ambientado en el sci-fi film de los años 50, donde un pequeño y poderoso aparato es causante de una serie de calamidades cuando cae en manos equivocadas. Elaborado con técnica de recortes, "The Control Master" fue ganador del Mejor Cortomrtraje del año en el Fantasía Film Festival, además del Grand Prize at the Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Film Festival en Seattle, ambos premios otorgados el año 2009.

Halftone City, USA. A peaceful metropolis of family values and space age dreams. Mild mannered blonde Dorothy Gayne secretly protects its citizens from harm. But dangerous new technologies abound. What happens when a powerful device falls into the hands of scientist turned villain Doctor Moire?
The Control Master is a short movie by Run Wrake, made entirely animating stock images from CSA Images.

(No Fat Clips)

The Control Master is a collaboration between famed found-illustration animator, Run Wrake (creator of SOTW film, Rabbit), and the image library, Veer. Created using only CSA archive images, the story involves a secret giganticator device that allows a normal woman to increase in size and save the city from dangers. When the device falls into the wrong hands, the city is thrown into peril.

(Short of the Week)

LINK

https://rapidshare.com/files/2853713128/2008thecontrolmaster.RunWrake_www.nplus2.org_.avi

Sweet dream - Kirsten Lepore (2008)

Este resumen no está disponible. Haz clic en este enlace para ver la entrada.

About Socks and Love - Michaela Čopíková (2008)

Este resumen no está disponible. Haz clic en este enlace para ver la entrada.

Quidam dégomme - Rémy Schaepman (2008)

Este resumen no está disponible. Haz clic en este enlace para ver la entrada.

Volgens de vogels - Linde Faas (2008)

According to the birds / Según los pájaros

Silent / Sin Diálogos

Un film que sin necesidad de palabra alguna habla por sí solo, cantando de acuerdo a la voz de los pájaros, del viento, de las hojas. Desde el punto de vista de un servidor, esta obra evoca de forma magistral esa calma y tranquilidad meditativa que solo se puede encontrar cuando se está en contacto directo con la naturaleza.

There is a moment in Linde Faas’s tranquil film, Volgen de Vogels, (According to Birds) as a dandelion seed floats to the earth, when one begins to unwind.  There are other moments to get horizontal: water drips to a pool and ripples spread out, a leaf is blown gently upwards into the wintry treetops, or at the outset leaves settle into water. Oh and there are the birds. Linde’s movie is full of birds, the dawn hunting expedition as, with scarcely a murmur, an owl takes an insect on the wing, a heron and rooks, in close-up or as bent lines in sky. "I've always had a fascination for birds. The way they move is very strange, they seem in their own world, disconnected from ours." Linde eschews music. Her sound is a rustle of leaves or the birds calling out. She is an artist and a fine one at that with a sureness of touch. She animates her birds with a delicacy that is rare indeed. One of the comments on the YouTube link suggests turning up the volume. I concur adding only that I’d turn it up louder. No story, just a beauty and peace. The short is hand drawn on paper and was Linde's graduation film whilst at St. Joost Art Academy..."

Ian Lumsden (Animation Blog)

"Central to my work are the little rituals which are found in life and nature in particular and often escape our notice. In my drawings and animations I place them in the spotlight and blow them up until each represents a world in its own right. In these worlds the borders of reality and fantasy fade away and people might experience a frozen moment in time in which the ruthless power of nature becomes visable."

Linde Faas (www.lindefaas.nl)

LINK

https://rapidshare.com/files/3462165887/2008VolgensdeVogels.LindeFaas_www.nplus2.org_.mp4