ASIFA: International Animated Film Association, stablished in 1960 in Annecy, France. Renowed by Canadian animation Norman McLaren.
“Animation is not a religion; neither is it a political movement in any sense. It remains a true contemporary art form which has been unrecognized for what it can achieve… we consider animation as a universal expression which is capable of immense contribution if given a chance.”
John Halas, President’s Letter 1979
McLaren John Halas founding members envisioned a world of peace and dialogue to settle our differences, with the art of animation serving as a bridge between different cultures and ideologies.
Working with UNESCO, sharing and developing international friendships, uniting the animation world, finding ways to meet animators from both side of the Iron Curtain.
“I was sometimes asked to help out at international board meetings, sometimes taking minutes, sometimes (inexpertly) interpreting, and thus witnessing Cold War relationships up close. Despite mutual suspicion and frequent high drama, agreements were slowly thrashed out, film exchanges, visiting delegations and new festivals organized.” Clare Kitson, ASIFA Member
Osamu Tezuka: 03/11/1928, Toyonaka- 09/02/1989, Tokyo
– Japanese mangaka, animator, God of manga
– manga: based on Disney’s cinematographic techniques
– short stories and simples vignette to long and elaborated comic stories
– story graphic adaptation of the literature Crime and Punishment
– New Treasure Island (1947) – the protagonist Pete finds a map of treasure Island that his father left after his dead. Then Pete, with his father’s friend started their trip to look for the treasure, but they were attacked and caught by Pirate. Moreover the ship get beaten by storm, and they are thrown into the sea. Occasionally, they reach at the Island that the map indicated,
– decade 50 : Kimba, Jungle Taitei, Astroboy, Ribbon no Kishi (first shoujo manga of the history)
– Black Jack (73-84), Buda (72-83), Adolf (83)
– themes around a strong social significance, for example MW (76-78) : politic corruption, homosexuality, chemical weapons,..
– 1989: stomach cancer,
– 1997 – Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize
Historic context (1928-1989)
La Gran Depresion 1929
WWII (1939-1945): Aliados (Fr, Polonia, UK, UUEE, Union Soviet, China) / Potencias del Eje (Gr, Jp, It)
Asesinato de Mahatma Gandhi 1948
War of Korea ( 1950 – 1953 ) : South (EEUU, United Nations) / North ( China, U.Soviet)
Cuban revolution (1959) :
Magnicidio de Dellas (Asesinato de J.F. Kennedy ), 1963
Asesinato de Martin Luther King 1968
El hombre pisa la luna 1969
Travelling: Town, Industrialization, Cities, Island (tribu, south America/Africa) War place (Europe, Korea, Japan), hell, loop
Loop Ending, Sudden downer ending
Jitter Cam – following the jumps of the child
Mood Whiplash- changing scenes between town to city, then flying between countries, mood changing when the child see the military army bombarding with chemical weapon (peaceful to tragedy)
Silence is Golden – there’s no character speaking and music singing around, just sound of the child jumping and what is happening around (traffics, animals, war, wind)
Experimental animation :
Animation need a touch of humour
As long as the human culture is advancing, improving in technologies, it is getting unstoppable until they end up in the hell.
Inspired by the experimental Hungarian animated film The Fly (1980) , written and directed by Ferenc Rofusz
1st person perspective POV
Human are Cuthulhu
Deliberately Monochrome
Downer ending
Jitter Cam
Mood Whiplash
Silence is Golden