Feb 14, 2013

Lost Films "Calaveras" directed by Jack Colombat

What is a "lost" film - the traditional definition has been that it is a film whose existence has been confirmed but for which a print cannot be found. However, in today's age of unlimited Internet access, there is another type of lost film. These are films for which prints readily exist, but whose films are rarely shown publicly, are not available online, and are not part of the general animation community discussion.

An even more personal definition of a "lost" film is one that I simply want to see but cannot find. I intend to highlight these films regularly in this new feature called "Lost Films." It represents a desire to draw attention to the rich history of animated filmmaking and the many ways artists have explored the medium over the years.

The first "lost film" is the French short Calaveras (Skulls, 1969), directed by Jacques Colombat (b. 1940) and produced by Les films Armorial. A protégé of the important French animation director Paul Grimaud, Colombat was inspired by the work of Mexican illustrator José Guadalupe Posada to create a short film on the theme of the Day of the Dead. Using a combination of cell animation and cut-outs, Colombat animated this work with Jean Viménée and Jean-François Laguiony (the latter recently released the feature film Le Tableau).

Colombat seems to be alive and well. In fact, last October, the Associated Press published a photo of him riding his bicycle haphazardly through the streets of Paris.

The running time of the films I saw varied between 11 and 15 minutes. A synopsis of "Calaveras" can be found online.

A unique and aesthetically interesting cartoon set in Mexico at the time of Maximilian I's defeat by the Republican army led by Juarez. The story is about an imprisoned Algerian soldier who is left behind when Maximilian's French troops are forced to retreat and faces firing squad. While in prison, he dreams of life on the outside, and eventually his time will come. However, according to popular Mexican belief, the man continues his previous life in a skeletal state, and the soldier soon finds his place in this new world.

Calaveras' adventurous designs and colors stimulate the senses. I can't imagine how these drawings could or would be animated as paper cutouts, but I would love to find out.