The McLaren awards, which showcase the best of new British animation, are always a popular event at the Edinburgh International Film Festival - so popular we could only get our hands on tickets for the first screening!
There seemed to be obvious connections between some of the films on show: The surprise demise of Francis Cooper’s mother and Today only are both slice-of-life mini dramas. Photograph Of Jesus and The Reason I Collect are Stop motion documentaries of real-world objects based around a voice over. And two films feature a dead rabbit. Draw your own conclusions. Below are some highlights:
Rabbit Punch by Kristian Andrews
The Conservatory
Matilda Tristram / UK / 2008 / 2 mins
Two plummy voiced old gents have a brief, surreal discussion about despair, conservatories and tea. Silly and funny.
The surprise demise of Francis Cooper’s mother
Felix Massie / UK / 2008 / 7 mins
Alexei Sayle provides the voice over for this slice of life, as we follow three characters through break ups, accidents and pet death. This is funny and full of well observed details. The moments before and after events are well done. We get a good insight into who these people are from the little things they do. That said, maybe I’m missing something but there doesn’t seem to be any connection between the three characters. I’m left wondering why they share a film.
Goodbye Mr Pink
Helen Piercy / UK / 2009 / 10 mins
It all starts with a dead rabbit. This is an odd mix of live action and stop motion. I thought I was going to have to leave the cinema, if we where to be treated to a full stop motion rabbit autopsy. Thankfully that didn’t happen. Instead we get a discussion between two children of the various afterlife options for a dead rabbit, played out for us in stop motion. It’s well done but it felt a bit queasy and maudlin.
The Reason I Collect
Emma Curtis / UK / 2008 / 4 mins
Choosing to base your film around a voice over means it rests on what’s being said. Fortunately the voice over is intelligent and interesting and does give an insight into the reasons people collect. The stop motion animation of real-world objects adds a comic, junk-shop-comes-alive counterpoint to the story. A successful and engaging film.
Photograph Of Jesus
Laurie Hill / UK / 2008 / 8 mins
This is mixed media animation, in the real world setting of a photo archive. A voice over tells the story of the many ridiculous requests the archive receives. There’s nice animation of cut outs from old photos and the environment is used in an inventive way. Pleasing, ingenious and accessible.
Winner of the McLaren Award for New British Animation!
Today Only
Toby Jackman / UK / 2009 / 10 mins
A block cat draws us through a neighbourhood, showing us little details of life on the street, different people and their relationship to the cat. There’s plenty of action and some unexpected turns here. Charming. But what’s the moon ticket about?
Rabbit Punch
Kristian Andrews / UK / 2008 / 6 mins
This is an unpleasant film. But it’s also a beautiful film. For me, this is the stand out film. The story has a disturbing realism to it. We follow two friends and their hobbies which include having unsavoury discussions about girls, blowing stuff up and shooting at cars with air guns. It’s an unflinching look at friendship, cruelty and growing pains. It’s all done in a sketchy pen and ink style which raises the film to a higher level altogether.
Have you seen these? Comment below.
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Thanks for the mention! Pleased you at least somewhat liked ‘The surprise of demise…’. Put this on my blog but will put it here too - about the wondering: I used three characters because I was trying to show that people quite often react in similar ways to “disasters”. That, often, people look for one specific moment as inspiration to change - which doesn’t always happen and so in this film they each force an epiphany upon themselves and, because it’s contrived, in the end they don’t change at all. Having three characters with different stories, but following one format, where the only link is their “epiphany’s” I thought would draw this out more. I suppose it didn’t work that well.
Glad you liked Rabbit Punch. Was my favourite too.
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Felix, thanks for your comments. I wouldn’t put too much store in what I say. Congratulations on ‘The surprise of demise…’, I hope more people get to enjoy it.
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