ANIMAFEST PRO | ANIMAFEST SCANNER IIII - Symposium for Contemporary Animation Studies | PANEL 2: COMIC AND ANIMATION
Graphic Novel and Animation Film: Particular Storytelling and Stylistic Approaches - Paola Bristot - Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia - Italy
6/06 TUE 14:30 - 15:00 Chilloutka, Ilica 15/1
With this panel I intend to explore the relationship between graphic novels and auteur animated films by shining a light on the various elements they have in common. These are easily found among authors who have made animated films as well as comics. There are other cases, however, where it seems the filmmakers have only absorbed many references to comics in their films (without actually making comics themselves), and we can therefore say they share the same sensibility as some contemporary graphic novelists. The discussion will centre around creators who have practiced both forms of expression, as in the case of Lorenzo Mattotti, Charles Burns and Richard McGuire, who we saw collaborate on the production of the film Peur(s) du noir. In their case, the approach is quite narrative. A more autobiographical direction is that taken by Marjane Satrapi with Persepolis, whereas Max Anderson sought a more personal journalistic approach with Tito on Ice. There are certainly more introspective examples like in the cases of Anke Feuchtemberger and Stefano Ricci.
A second level of analysis will focus on creators of animated films whose work shares some affinities with graphic novels. An example is Consuming Spirits by Chris Sullivan or Don Hertzfeldt’s trilogy, that can be compared with the stories of small town America found in David Mazzucchelli’s Phobia or Asterios Polyp. The comics as well as the films show interlocking stories, in which individual pieces come together into a final puzzle. Amongst the younger generation I would point out Vuk Palibrik’s film, Običan dan, that comes close to the narrative approach of Aleksandar Zograf. Both are inspired by everyday minor ideas and are developed also in a minimal style.These are just a few avenues of thought that show some current trends in the production of auteur films and comics.
Paola Bristot, graduated in DAMS (Bologna,1985) and specialized in the work of Andrea Pazienza. She is professor of art history at the Academy in Venice. As the president of the Viva Comix association, she organizes many exhibitions concerning comics, illustration, animation and visual arts. She is the artistic director of the Piccolo Festival dell’Animazione (10thedition) in Trieste, Udine, Pordenone and Venice. She curated with Andrea Martignoni the 4 DVDs Animazioni (2010-16, Viva Comix, Ottomani), anthologies of contemporary Italian short film. As an art director, she produced the experimental film Re-cycling (Arte Video, Viva Comix 2014).