(This text was extracted from CIFEJ INFO #95, March
2001)
of Chile was elected to the CIFEJ Board of Directors
at the last General Assembly. A graduate of journalism
and literature and a CIFEJ member for the past four
years, she has devoted her career to animation films.
In the creation of her films, she uses several techniques:
paper cut-outs, dolls, modeling clay and non-traditional
drawings. We were curious about her background…
‘I
began directing children’s films in Germany, at DFEA
Trickfilm Studio in Dresden where I was lucky enough
to study with such excellent animators as GÐnther Rätz
and Nina Raritz. During this time, we made a few versions
of the Filopat and Patafi series as well as many
films including Auf der Wiese am Bach, Die aventeur
des Ritters Schnaphansky Lautaro. Having the chance to work in this studio was, for
me, like living a fairy tale: to find myself among some
hundred persons who dedicated their professional lives
to the making of children’s films; we built the dolls,
we drew, we worked in studios full of miniature decorations
and we were a bit like children ourselves.’
‘It
was on my return to Chile that I began to work as an
independent director and producer. In this huge country
I was the only person working with animation techniques
learned in Germany. No question of having a studio here
in Santiago; it was already a feat finding a frame by
frame camera. I had a lot of difficulties to overcome
since animation, and especially films for children are
just about non-existant in this South American country.
There is virtually no support and even less interest
on the part of television networks, who prefer buying
Japanese animation series – much less expensive than
investing in original national productions. In order
to survive, I directed about thirty advertising spots
and it was only eight years later that I finally succeeded
in producing a children’s television series entitled
Tata Colores (18 episodes), for the national
network of Chile. This series (Pepe Couleurs
in French) was presented in the Panorama section at
the Festival d’Annecy in 1993. It won second
prize for children’s video at Prix IPAL 1993
(Unicef) in Peru and first prize for Best children’s
television series at the Film Festival for Children
of Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela, in 1995′.
‘I
also made three short films: Nostagias for Dresden
(1990), Derive (1995) and La Salsa
(1999). Nostalgias for Dresden, animated
drawings inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall, which
was presented at the Festival d’Annecy in a Latin
America film retrospective and was in competition at
the 4th Clermont Festival, Ferrand, was finally bought by La Sept/Arte.
My
last production, La Salsa, is a ten-minute film using techniques with dolls made of
modeling clay. It is the first part of a series of ��Salsas�� known the world over. It won the Award for Best
National Animation at the International Festival
for Short Films (ARCOS) in July 1999, in Chile.’
‘I
am presently working on the production of a feature
film called Searching for Palipan. The scenario
for this project won the Special Prize at the Festival
of Mari, in Germany in 1999. The film will be shot
in a real location, the Atacama Desert in Chile, and
animated dolls will be superimposed. It is a mythological
and ecological story for children and any co-producers
interested by this beautiful story are welcome !’
‘I
am very happy to have been elected to the CIFEJ Board
of Directors since I have great hopes for helping and
supporting the development of audio-visual vehicles
for children around the world, especially in the countries
that I represent as I am the only member in the southern
part of Latin America. In Chile, for instance, the efforts given
to developing cinema for young people were carried out
by an organization called the Consejo Nacional de Television
which hosts two competitions a year for the production
of television programs and films for children. Every
year, this organization finances two scenarios. In November
2000, our president Jerzy Moskowicz and I had the opportunity
of participating in the Muestra de Cine y Video para
niÈos y jovenes del Mercosur at Mar del Plata in
Argentina. This event brought together many directors
and producers from numerous South American countries.
It was the first time there had been such a gathering
in Latin America. In addition to audio-visual professionals,
there were representatives from the Ministries of Culture
and Education from various countries. We were able to screen numerous films
in the presence of an enormous children’s audience.
They were given the opportunity of particpating in various
workshops. We finally drafted an important document,
the ‘Declaration of Mar del Plata’. In this document
(see attached), representatives from the various countries
commited to developing and giving real support to films
for children and young people’.
I
hope to represent CIFEJ well in each of the events in
which I can participate and to collaborate in its works
and to the development of audio-visuals for young people
on our continent. This is a very important task for
adults in the third millenium in all world cultures
and I hope to contribute my own little grain of sand.