Simon Hart, Artistic Director:
At first glance, one might not think that the aesthetic and techniques of animated film lend themselves easily to a documentary format. In their different ways, these films harness the protean versatility of animation to present in visual terms nightmares, inner experience and awareness, as well as challenging intellectual concepts, in ways that can resonate powerfully and effectively with audiences. Have a watch and see if they work for you!
WALTZ WITH BASHIR (2008) Ari Folman (90 mins)
Based on the director’s own experiences as an Israeli soldier and those of his comrades during the war in Lebanon in 1982, a powerful, harrowing indictment of one of the most notorious incidents during the conflict. Using innovative animation techniques, Folman describes a hallucinatory disconnected world full of sudden, casual violence as he comes to terms with buried fragmentary memories and a growing awareness of his complicity in the Shatila massacre.
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IS THE MAN WHO IS TALL HAPPY? (2013) Michel Gondry (88 mins)
A series of quirky and imaginative animated interpretations of conversations between the director and the eminent linguist, philosopher and political activist Noam Chomsky. A charming, unpredictable visual essay which explores the work and theories of one of the 20th century’s greatest thinkers.
THE KINGDOM OF DREAMS & MADNESS (2013) Mami Sunada (188 mins)
Not an animated film documentary, more a documentary about animated film. A delicate and revealing behind the scenes snapshot of legendary Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki as he and his long-time collaborators strive to complete THE WIND RISES, one of the last films created by Studio Ghibili before his retirement.
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