75 years of looking at the world. A retrospective of the Animation Department's heritage at the Łódź Film School (PWSFTviT)
Wednesday, 27. 9. 2023 at 14.00 / Vetrinj mansion, big hall
Curated by Aleksandra Chrapowicka
It is already the 75th anniversary of the L. Schiller National School of Film, Television and Theatre in Lodz. This year we are also celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Department of Animated Film and Special Effects, which was established at the Faculty of Cinematography.
The panorama of films presented here is a variety of animations made with the analogue technique: from puppet films, films made with dry materials, in plasticine, through paintings made directly in front of the camera, to drawings made on paper, also known as punch-ups.
The screenings are characterized by the variety of the stories, the length of the films and the visual aspect, which is often due to the fact that the animations are created under the artistic supervision of different mentors.
Trigger warnings: nudity, dead animals, explosions
1.
Dunia / Dunia. Tam i z powrotem
Joanna Jasińska-Koronkiewicz (PWSFTviT)
2003, Poland, 7'
The story of a girl with a strong imagination. One day, the real world and the world of fantasy merge very strongly.
Realization: Joanna Jasińska // Music: Tomasz Wiracki // Editing: Małgorzata Zając // Artistic supervision: Henryk Ryszka
Joanna Jasińska-Koronkiewicz is a director, screenwriter, visual artist, animator, operator. She mainly creates art-house films in the painting technique with oil paints on canvas directly under the camera. Since 2004, she has been cooperating with the TV Studio of Animated Films in Poznań. 2011: Assistant professor at the Department of Cinematography - Animated Film at PWSFTViT. 2010-12-21: Doctor of Film Arts, PhD at PWSFTViT Since 2004: Assistant at the Department of Cinematography - Animated Film at PWSFTViT. 2003-12-18: Diploma of PWSFTViT - excellent grade. 2003 - 1998: Studies at the Department of Cinematography and Television Production - Animation at the PWSFTviT in Łódź.
2.
Icarus / Ikar
Agata Rogalska (PWSFTviT)
1997, Poland, 3'
A story about the fascination of flying. Inspiration from a well-known myth.
Written and directed, DOP, Editing: Arleta Rogalska // Music: Robert Rogalski // Sound: Marek Knaga // Artistic supervision: Henryk Ryszka, Stanisław Śliskowski, Krzysztof Rynkiewicz
Agata Rogalska is an animator, director, and DOP. She directed the films: 1996 Ars Cameralis, 1997 Ikar, 1998 Femme Fatale, 2000 Rękawiczka.
3.
The Duel / Pojedynek
Waldemar Mordarski (PWSFTviT)
2002, Poland, 3'15''
The story of a duel between a knight who, at a certain point, is fighting against himself.
Written and directed, Sound, Editing: Waldemar Mordarski // DOP: Jan Ptasiński // Music: Krzysztof Cybulski, Maciej Gruchacz, Dariusz Chrobak // Artistic supervisor: Piotr Dumała
Waldemar Mordarski is a director, animator, music composer, sound designer, visual effects specialist, author of films and series for children. He directed the films: 1999 Wiatr, 2000 Przebudzenie, 2002 Pojedynek, 2003 Miraż, 2006-2007 Miś Fantazy (episodes), 2008 Agentki (animation director), 2014-2018 Agi Babi (episodes), 2019 Latający Miś i Strażnicy Legend (episodes), 2021 Kajko i Kokosz, 2023 Jeżyk i Sprężynka.
4.
Dubler
Izabela Plucińska (PWSFTviT)
2001, Poland, 3'50''
Story of a lonely man discovering his shadow. The shadow accompanies the protagonist in order to dominate him at the end of the story.
Written and directed, DOP: Izabela Plucińska // Music: Maciej Sobczyński // Sound: Marek Knaga // Editing: Joanna Fabicka // Artistic supervision: Piotr Dumała
Izabela Plucińska is an animation film director Born in Poland, she currently lives in Germany. She is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź (in the field of Design) and Film Animation from the Cinematography Department of the Film School in Łódź, where she also earned her PhD in Animation. Her filmography includes "Jam Session" (2005) – a winner of the Silver Bear at the International Film Festival in Berlin, "Esterhazy" (2009), "Sexy Laundry" (2015) and "Portrait of Suzanne" (2019). At present, she is a lecturer at the Arts Academy in Szczecin and runs her own production company ClayTraces. She specialises in plasticine animation. "98 kg" was her first animation film.
5.
Ab Ovo
Anita Kwiatkowska-Naqvi (PWSFTviT)
2012, Poland, 5'12''
Story of waiting for birth. Two worlds interpenetrate - the world of the mother-to-be and the world of her unborn child.
Written and directed, DOP, Editing: Anita Kwiatkowska-Naqvi // DOP collaboration: Leyla Comert // Puppets: Krzysztof Lech // Music: George Antoniv // Sound: Marek Knaga // Synchronization effects: Wiesław Nowak // Artistic supervision: Henryk Ryszka, Aleksandra Chrapowicka
Anita Kwiatkowska-Naqvi was born in 1986 in Cracow, is an animation graduate at Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School, Łódź, Psychology graduate at the University of Warsaw. FILMS: 2016 – Locus, director; 2014 – Ab ovo, director; 2012 – Carnalis, director; 2010 – Protozoa, director.
6.
Kigo
Izumi Yoshida (PWSFTviT)
2012, Poland, 7'27''
A visualization of the Japanese haiku poems. Our feelings, emotions and admiration and longing for the fleeting beauty of nature are influenced by the changing seasons and the changing universe.
Written and directed, DOP: Izumi Yoshida // Lights: Lew Predan-Kowarski, Piotr Matysiak // Music: Sebastian Ładyżyński // Visuals - calligraphy: Masaktasu Yoshida // Translations: Izumi Yoshida, Anna Siewierska // Artistic supervision: Henryk Ryszka, Aleksandra Chrapowicka
Izumi Yoshida is an animation director, animator (2d and stop motion), VFX artist (including composition), illustrator. As a newly-minted PhD graduate from the esteemed Polish Film School in Lodz, I have embarked on a journey that melds my passions for animation and academia. Currently, I have the privilege of contributing as a faculty member at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lodz, where I endeavor to foster creativity and ingenuity in the artists of tomorrow. With a portfolio as a Director that boasts animated films like "Mirage," "KIGO," and "KINKI," I have been honored with screenings and accolades at various film festivals. My expertise doesn't end here; I am also a proficient Japanese language translator. My academic pursuits are intertwined with my artistic vision. My scholarship gravitates toward the world of animated films, with a particular focus on artistic and abstract animation as well as studio productions - anime holding a special place in my heart. Additionally, the rich tapestry of Japanese mythology, coupled with the spine-tingling allure of horror in literature and film, forms the cornerstone of my research. As I tread the path of both an artist and scholar, my objective is to continually push the boundaries of animation and deepen the understanding of the cultural narratives that shape it.
7.
Leaven / Zaczyn
Artur Hanaj (PWSFTviT)
2015, Poland, 5'
A fantastic world of dough creatures.
Written and directed, Set design, Animation: Artur Hanaj // DOP: Szymon Kuriata // Sound: Kacper Zamarło, Marek Knaga // Synchronization: Wiesław Nowak // Producer: Patrycja Pieszak // Production coordination: Małgorzata Gontarska // Actor: Teresa Szrama // Artistic supervision: Piotr Dumała, Piotr Milczarek
Artur Hanaj is a creator of animated films. Graduate of the Film School in Łódź, specialising in animated film and special effects. He graduated from the Józef Chełmoński Secondary School of Fine Arts in Nałęczów with a toy design profile. Apart from making animated films he is currently interested in good stories, good cuisine and tailoring.
8.
Searching for Devo
Natalia Brożyńska (PWSFTviT)
2013, Poland, 4'43''
The fantastic world of space in a music video.
Written and directed, Editing: Natalia Brożyńska // DOP: Malin Nicander // Compositing: Anita Kwiatkowska-Naqvi // Puppets: Janusz Grzelak, Piotr Nawrocki // Sound: Tomasz Jerzy Tumidajewicz // Creative producer: Róża Misztela // Artistic supervision: Henryk Ryszka, Aleksandra Chrapowicka
Natalia Brożyńska was born in 1990 in Łódź. In 2009, she began attending the Łódź Film School, specialization: animation and special effects. She completed the first year of studying there with her debut puppet animation titled 'Shivering Trunks'. It received many awards, for example at Cracov Film Festival, Era New Horizons, Se-Ma-For Film Festival. During the second year, she realised a claymation called 'Turuntai, the End and the Beginning'. In the time of the third year of studies, she was working on her stop-motion music video to American New Wave band, Devo. Film “Searching For DEVO” received the award at 22nd Polish Videoclip Festival YachFilm a ‘Best Animation’. In 2015, she graduated from the Film School realizing puppet animation “The Advisers of King Hydrops”. It is based on one of ‘The Robot Tales“ by Poland’s world famous sci-fi writer, Stanisław Lem.
9.
Marbles
Natalia Spychała (PWSFTviT)
2019, Poland, 5'32''
Experimental film inspired by Deborah Vogel's works. The object is simultaneously an activity, the world of thoughts mixes with the world of objects and space.
Written and directed, DOP, Editing: Natalia Spychała // Animation: Urszula Domańska, Natalia Spychała, Katarzyna Adamkiewicz, Aneta Lewandowska // Music and sound: Pimon Lekler // Artistic supervision: Piotr Dumała, Piotr Milczarek
Natalia Spychała is a graduate of the Łódź Film School, Poland, director and animator. In addition to making short animated films, she explores stop motion techniques by co-creating projects that combine animation with literature, theatre, music and new technologies. She runs a studio in Łódź, Fabryka Animacji FAN, where she organizes animation workshops as well as art events for children, teenagers and adults.
10.
Tango of Longing / Tango tęsknot
Marta Szymańska (PWSFTviT)
2017, Poland, 4'14''
An evocative story of emotions and the extraordinary tension between tango dancers. As they lose themselves in dance, they discover their deepest desires and secrets.
Written and directed, Animation, Editing: Marta Szymańska // Music: Piotr Zakrocki // Artistic supervision: Piotr Dumała, Piotr Milczarek
Marta Szymańska was born in 1991. She graduated from Art School in Warsaw specializing in Visual Advertising. Since 2010 she studies animation at Polish National Film School in Łódź. "Moko" is her latest film she made at school.
11.
Rozkurz
Justyna Pazdan (PWSFTviT)
2015, Poland, 3'11''
A professor is desperate to make an extraordinary discovery that will bring him a prize and immense fame.
Written and directed, DOP, Sound, Editing: Justyna Pazdan // Artistic supervision: Aleksandra Chrapowicka, Henryk Ryszka, Agata Gorządek, Krzysztof Rynkiewicz
Justyna Pazdan is a graduate of Secondary School of Fine Arts in Katowice and Animation at Lodz Film School. He is a man of many interests; great admirer of mushroom hunting, aquascaping and queer culture. FILMS: 2020, Anemone Temple, 2017 JustiFitness, 2016 Becoming Landscape.
12.
The Little Soul / Duszyczka
Barbara Rupik (PWSFTviT)
2019, Poland, 9'17''
A nostalgic tale about life, the soul's journey.
Written and directed, DOP, Sound, Editing: Barbara Rupik // Music: Maurycy Raczyński // Artistic supervision: Piotr Dumała, Piotr Milczarek
Barbara Rupik (born 1992) is an animated film director specializing in puppet and mixed media techniques. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice and the Polish National Film,Television and Theatre School in Lodz. Her filmography includes a short film "The Little Soul" (2019),which won the 3rd Prize in the Cinéfondation competition at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival. She is also the author of stop-motion segments for a feature film „The Silent Twins” (2022), directed by Agnieszka Smoczyńska.
13.
Banquet / Bankiet
Julia Orlik (PWSFTviT)
2016, Poland, 3'50''
The main character cannot cope with the party. To avoid standing out, he begins to repeat the actions of others. This leads to an unhappy ending.
Written and directed, DOP, Editing: Julia Orlik // Music: Bartłomiej Orlik // Sound: Łukasz Kaczmarski // Artistic supervision: Marek Skrobecki, Aleksandra Chrapowicka, Agata Gorządek
Julia Orlik is a graduate from the Lodz Film School with the specialization in Animated Film and Special Effects. Born in Katowice in 1996. At present she’s a resident of Krupski Młyn, where all her time-lapse films were made in her family garage. In addition to animation, she is also interested in bloody special effects, film make-up and conducting film workshops with children and teenagers.
Aleksandra Maria Chrapowicka
was born in Lodz in Poland. First she studied Graphics in the Academy of Fine Arts in Lodz, before she went on to study Animated Film and Special Film Effects at the Direction of Photography and Tv Production Department in the Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School in Lodz. Since 1998, she has worked at this Department as the lecturer. During this career, she has been an artistic adviser for a huge number of students’ films, which got a lot of awards in the international film festivals. She is especially interested in creativity for children. She makes short animated movies for children. For several years she participated in staging diverse events for young audiences, making animation to music which was mostly played live by the different Philharmonic Orchestra in Poland (in Lodz, Białystok). She also makes animation for the theater plays. Thanks to Erasmus' mobility she had workshops in the different universities like ESAD in Matosinhos in Portugal, Academy of Fine Art in Macerata in Italy, FAMU in Prague in Czech Republic. In 2004 she was a guest of Matita International Film Festival - The International Festival of Animation in Guardiagrele in Italy. In 2015 she was a guest of Animanima The International Festival of Animation in Cacak in Serbia.
Filmography:
2022 The Story of the Little Dog // 2022 My Little Hero Rat // 2021 The Problems of Little Pig // 2019 The Fairly-Tale of the Fat Dog // 2018 Looking for Winter // 2017 The Dreams of Teddy Bear Walenty // 2016 The Little Wolf Lupi and the Little Sheep Bobek // 2015 Three Cats // 2009 Where is a Fairy -Tale?