29 April 2011

BEIRUT: Once upon a time, animation, like the comic books that they animate, was viewed as a form for kids. Any Lebanese who still thinks this is true of comics need only peruse an issue or two of Samandal (salamander), Beiruts home-grown, tri-lingual adult comic book enterprise.

If youre still not convinced of the mature artistic (and entertainment) possibilities of animated film, you may want to report to Metropolis Cinema-Sofil next week to take in a bit of Beirut Animated.

Lebanons only platform specializing in cutting-edge animated film from Lebanon and the world, the event, now in its second edition, is the fruit of Metropolis collaboration with, you guessed it, Samandal.

The program showcases feature-length films and shorts.

Three feature-length adult films will be projected, starting with the opening-night movie, Sylvain Chomets The Illusionist (2010). Based on an unproduced, semi-autobiographical script written by Jacques Tati in 1956, Chomets second feature film follows a French illusionist who finds himself out of work and travels to Scotlandfor a life-altering adventure. The film won the Csar for best animated movie and was nominated for an Oscar.

Idiots and Angels is one of two animated features released in 2008 by American animator Bill Plympton, who has been lauded by critics as one of the most prominent figures in independent animation today. The film tells the story of Angel, an abusive, morally bankrupt man who devotes most of his time to berating the other patrons of his local bar. Then, one day, Angel mysteriously wakes up with a pair of wings on his back, which make him do good deeds.

BA will also screen the thriller Metropia (2009) by Swedens Tarik Saleh a co-founder of the Atmo animation studio, who is best known for his political documentaries. Metropia is derived from four years of real-life footage that was later manipulated on the computer. The film premiered at the 66th Venice Film Festival.

Set in a dystopic near future, when oil reserves are nearly depleted and Europe is connected by series of underground tunnels, the film centers on Roger, whose efforts to rid himself of the voice inside his head only leads him deeper into a bizarre conspiracy.

A single evening of screenings will be comprised of twenty Lebanese and Arab shorts, which range from documentary to fiction to experimental works and whose animation runs the gamut from Python-esque cut-out work to clay-mation to 2D and 3D.

The 15 Lebanese films in the selection include work by some of the most renowned artists in the country including Samar Mogharbel, Shirin Abu Shaqra and Ziad Antar. Other films showcase the work of younger animators and students from around the country. The remaining five Arab films come from Tunisia, Syria and Egypt.

BA will also project an assortment of international shorts, many of which have won awards at international animation festivals.

Animation may not be just for kids, but young adults do consume masses of animated entertainment. BA reserves a space for young audiences to sample work that is a cut above Cartoon Channel pap.

Dominique Monfrys feature-length Krity, la maison des contes (2009) tells the tale of 7-year-old Natanal, who still doesnt know how to read. His eccentric aunt bequeaths her house to his parents. To the boy she leaves her book collection, which he finds serves as a shelter for all the heroes found in childrens literature. When his parents start selling off the books, Nathanal braves everything to save his friends. Krity received a special mention at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.

Also for the youngsters, Slovenias Animateka festival one of the four international partners of BA will present a session of 10 short films taken from Best of Elephant, its childrens section, which features Central and Eastern European films of various styles, techniques and subjects.

For adults, Animateka is presenting two additional programs The Best of the Festival and The Best of Slovenian Cinema.

BA has several side programs. One of these is a tribute to the Lebanese artist and animation pioneer, Edgar Aho, who died tragically young. It will also present a carte blanche to animator, cartoonist and motion graphics teacher, Lina Ghaibeh.

Maintaining a tradition established at the first edition of Beirut Animated, the folks at Samandal will give the public the opportunity to revisit their childhood through a selection of Japanese anim series, dubbed into Arabic.

After the screening of Alex Baladi and Isabelle Nouzhas Frankenstein Again, based on Baladis comic book Frankenstein toujours, Samandal will also also host a debate on the transposition of comics into animated film.

BA partner ASIFA Egypt will present a selection of 10 short films, which retrace the beginnings of animation in Egypt in the 30s and shed light on the Frenkel Brothers, whose works include the oldest preserved animation footage in the Arab world.

Another institutional partner, Germanys DOK Leipzig, the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, has put together a selection of the best animations from its Animadoc 2010 edition.

Frances LAgence du court mtrage will project four of the most influential animated documentaries of the past few years.

The closing act of BA will be two live animation performances by the prize-winning Canadian director and independent artist Pierre Hbert. The first of these, performed for the first time in Arabic, is Seule la main (Only the Hand ). The second work, 49 Mouches (49 flies), will be accompanied by Lebanese sound artist and illustrator, Mazen Kerbaj.

Two exhibitions will run parallel to the festival. The first showcases Ahos drawings and cartoons along with other works by his colleagues and friends, composed in tribute to him. The second show is an exhibition of paintings, comic books and drawings which were formative in the creation of Baladis Frankenstein Again.

The benevolent souls at BLC Bank will bankroll BAs audience award for the best Lebanese animated short film, to be presented to the winner during the closing ceremony.

Beirut Animated runs at Metropolis Cinema-Sofil from May 2-7. For more information call: 01 204 080

Copyright The Daily Star 2011.