Anca Damian, director
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What is MARONA’S FANTASTIC TALE about and what inspired you to tell this story? While I was finishing my The Magic Mountain (2015), I intended to work on my third part of the trilogy on heroism with a feature animation on Malala [Yousafzai, Pakistani Nobel prize winner]. I had the vision for the script, and it was just a matter of weeks to write it. But when I contacted her agent, I found out that they had already agreed to work on her biography with Davis Guggenheim. I was sure that my film would have been different but I had to give up the idea. |
Meanwhile, I was haunted by a true story: I saved a female dog, which actually is now named Marona, about five years ago on the streets of Bucharest, Romania. I tried to find someone who would foster her, because I have a male dog and she could get pregnant. I took care of her until she was adopted. She gave me so much in exchange. She is a very special dog and changed every family where she was kept for some weeks. I believe that it’s very important to speak about empathy to a family audience. Our society and educational systems lack a lot of efforts on this topic. I thought we could touch upon other important ideas, about how we take care of others, about finding happiness in the small things, about life and death, about love. So I decided to do a film about this “she” dog, Marona.
How did you develop the style and look of your film?
When I am in the beginning stages of a project, I always try to find the unique graphic equivalent in the world of film. Regarding to the visuals, I approached Brecht Evens, who could define the characters with his strong visual style. Brecht introduced me to Gina Thorstensen and Sarah Mazzetti, two brilliant illustrators, who were working on the backgrounds of the film. Except for Gina, who has worked as visual artist for music clips, Brecht and Sarah didn’t have any prior experience of working on animation. So, they were bringing a fresh visual approach to this film with their fantastic individual talent. I always work with a visual concept and references, but while collaborating with true artists, I always receive more from their touch. This is what I am looking for.
You directed both live action feature and documentary animation films. This is now your first animated fiction feature. Can you elaborate on how you chose your medium and form for each project and especially this film? What draws you to animation in general?
I wouldn’t say that my animated documentaries are far from MARONA’S FANTASTIC TALE. They are much more hybrid than the usual genre films, and they are also fictionalised. I am always inspired by reality, for any film I make, and then the vision that I have on what I want to say guides me to find the medium and the technique. The story I want to tell leads me to the visual concept and that is key for choosing the techniques. In animation I find the total freedom, and I enhance the meaning of the reality behind its apparence.
What was the working process like and what were the main challenges?
My way of working is based on having small animation teams, and I try to involve artistically each animator. I dedicate a particular character to each team and develop the character with them. We discuss with references to push each character further to make them stand on their own. We talk to each other for each shot in all stages of the animation. I give feedback to each animator and I get input from them. I am grateful for their artistic involvement, and then wonderful energy starts to develop between us. These make the project come alive.
The production was based in France, Romania and Belgium. I had two small teams of five: 2D animators and two assistants in Arles and in Bordeaux. There was also a 3D animator in Arles, and a cut-out animator in Angouleme. In Romania I also had a small team of five. In Belgium I had one 2D animator for Marona adult age — Mathieu Labaye, and a small studio for 3 D animation for the set. In addition, there were people doing small jobs remotely in France, Romania, and even in the U.K an animator.
I worked in the same way with the animators at my previous films, but this time I had to work with a bigger number of people, spread all over Europe, always traveling and in daily contact with everyone, giving input, energy and feedback. I worked without an assistant, and I was also in charge of the production. I had to extend myself beyond my physical limits, but fortunately, the work of the artists and teams was all very rewarding in the end. This film has a lot of good energy to share.
How did you develop the very unique hand-crafted animation style of the film and the look of its characters?
For the characters, their interior was the guide for the design: Manole is a solitary, melancholic acrobat, who desperately pursues the poetry of life. For him, all shapes are possible, the lines disperse, become entangled and knot up whenever he is depressed or has been drinking, for example. The animator Dan Panaitescu was in charge of Manole. He is a brilliant animator, very creative and productive. I deeply appreciate him as an animator and as a person. He started to make a walk cycle as we needed to define how he moves and how he is. I discovered the serpent (played by Bob Fosse) in the 1974 feature The Little Prince, and this reference opened the door to give Manole this fascinating character and life in the animation. Then everything was to push the animator to go further.
Istvan’s body, on the contrary, is very solid and tangible, but his hands as well as his mouth must bestow on him an affectionate appearance. His eyes and mouth have the delicacy of the faces found in Indian paintings. Solange is a cross between a little princess and an adventuress — quilts in the form of dog ears, an eye patch because of her amblyopia, a princess’s dress and roller-shoes. Some of the other characters were done as a mix of cut-out with 2D: The rigidity of old age is enhanced for Istvan’s mother and Solonge’s grandfather. The bad characters — the impresario and the dogcatchers were done in 3D.
What kind of audience did you have in mind for this film?
I wanted to address to a family audience, where each age can have its level of reading. Of course, I aimed to offer the audience a unique experience, on the visual level — the beauty of art-craft and the concept of the subjective space, and at the sound level — the music is in itself a piece of art. I alternate humor with emotions, trying to make all the characters lovable and complex. I do hope the film will be entertaining and will open the hearts of the audience.
Who do you consider your influences?
I am influenced by visual art, by books, by animated films, but it would be difficult to mention just some sources. For this film, I said in my director’s note that has a reference in the film The Boy and The World by Ale Abreu.
What do you think is unique about European animation compared to films from the USA or Japan?
European animation has its voice, and also its diversity. Also in USA or Japan we have independent animation but perhaps in Europe this trend is stronger. The European funding system helps a lot in keeping our cultural identity that otherwise would not survive.
