{"id":33714,"date":"2018-12-13T12:41:35","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T12:41:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skwigly.co.uk\/?p=33714"},"modified":"2019-08-09T20:22:12","modified_gmt":"2019-08-09T20:22:12","slug":"christiane-cegavske-interview-alchemy-of-animation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skwigly.co.uk\/christiane-cegavske-interview-alchemy-of-animation\/","title":{"rendered":"Christiane Cegavske Interview: The Alchemy of Animation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christiane Cegavske<\/a> is a fabricator of self-spun tales, the sole architect of a handmade fantasy world. The award winning director and stop-motion animator is perhaps best known for her feature-length film, Blood Tea and Red String<\/a> (2006). Her cult status, is due in part to the time it took to complete it\u2014a small matter of 13 years<\/strong>. Certainly, to hear of an artist who operates alone and outside of a conventional timeframe is liberating. Cegavske\u2019s aims seem to be truly independent. Her unparalleled devotion has now sustained her onto the creation of her next film: Seed in the Sand<\/a>. And it\u2019s already well underway with production.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Once again, we\u2019ll visit the surreal landscapes inhabited by Cegavske\u2019s puppet creations. Her artistic lens is perhaps unique in its ability to magnify the lives of small creatures, playing out the extreme emotions of animals which live in sheltered dwellings. In Blood Tea<\/em>, we met with the oak-dwellers, who live beneath the hollowed-out trunk of an oak tree. These animals have beaks yet exert a mammalian tenderness. Their peaceful existence is thrown into disarray when the object of their affection (a doll) is stolen and they must embark on a quest to reclaim it.<\/p>\n

\"Blood<\/a>

Blood Tea and Red String (Dir. Christiane Cegavske) [Source<\/a>]<\/p><\/div>In Seed in the Sand, we\u2019ll find Cegavske\u2019s characters in a beautifully crafted red nest. The white-furred, red-beaked creatures face starvation amidst an unforgiving landscape.<\/p>\n

Cegavske\u2019s decision to abstain from dialogue and speech in her work, permits the opening up of interpretation. Her message needn\u2019t be translated to enter film festivals, for there is something buried (in the sand) that will take root intuitively. Her films are instead formed from a language of personal mythos, as are her paintings and poetry. Cegavske distils inspiration into an exclusive colour palette and a creative process, such as hers, is not unlike alchemy. Red, Black and White: these are the essences which formulate her miniature tales. We interviewed Christiane Cegavske to discuss the progress of her next feature and to get an insight into her practice.<\/p>\n

\"Blood<\/a>

Blood Tea and Red String (Dir. Christiane Cegavske)\u00a0[Source<\/a>]<\/p><\/div>Reflecting upon the recognition you received for your first feature, Blood Tea and Red String, what is about the film which you think attracts people the most?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think my audiences find the characters compelling. The tactile intimacy in the way the characters are filmed where the textures of the fur and clothing emphasise their materiality and dimensionality, making them seem entirely real even though they are impossible creatures. Despite the absence of dialogue, their gestures and communications are readable and their emotional states relatable so they seem like real, living beings. The overall aesthetic, the colour palette, the strangeness of the story and the immersive environment, at once familiar and foreign, also seem to be a draw.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Your creative process has changed quite a bit since the completion of Blood Tea and Red String. During the production of Seed in the Sand, you\u2019ve employed a few interns along the way. Fans of your work can now also follow the film\u2019s development online as you post pictures and videos. As an artist, how do you feel your work is affected by this kind of exposure? Have you enjoyed opening up the artistic process to other people?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I like to show work in progress. Feedback and appreciation help me to persevere over this long-term project. I think my creative process has remained much the same, I now have a greater platform to share it. I am more mindful of documenting progress in ways I didn\u2019t or couldn\u2019t while working on Blood Tea and Red String. I am much more aware of cinematic editing techniques, meaningful juxtapositions, and intentional symbolism now, though, I still allow much of the narrative to flow along in dream-logic fashion just as it comes to me.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Production<\/a>

Production Still from Seed in the Sand\u00a0[Source<\/a>]<\/p><\/div>In the past, your films have been likened to dark fairy-tales. Is there a lesson to be learnt in the stories you tell?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t set out to give a specific lesson, but you can see the consequences of the actions of the characters, both positive and negative. That can be instructive. In Blood Tea and Red String, everyone loses that which they were initially striving for. The protagonists and one of the antagonists evolve in their quest to reclaim the doll. As soon as the Oak Dwellers see the bird girl, fragile and alive, their purpose becomes rescue. When the one white mouse sees the bird girl born out of the doll, his epiphany brings transformation and a new goal. Two of the mice never shift their focus and end up with the object of their desire, but it is broken. I avoid creating characters who embody absolute evil. The antagonist\u2019s selfish deeds can be considered bad from the protagonist view, but could be interpreted as justifiable by them. Both sides engage in myopic and self-serving behaviour as well as selfless acts.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As any stop-motion animator will know, the filmmaking process requires ceaseless dedication, hard work and attention to detail. This is perhaps especially true for you, as you work primarily alone upon all facets of filmmaking. The final product must therefore be a huge personal accomplishment. How do you manage to remain motivated when dates of completion are set so far into the future?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I break up the work into manageable pieces in a long-term production schedule with solid goals dispersed along the way. Finish a puppet, build a set, complete a scene; each is a small triumph. Opportunities to show my work in progress are also very rewarding and motivational. When my audience gives me a positive response and expresses a desire to see more, it spurs me on.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n