Staff Choose premiere "Toomas Under the Vale of Wild Wolves" composed by Chintis Lundgren
Though the idea may sound salacious, the execution is a lot of fun, with a an unpretentious, home-grown vibe and quirky comedy. Lundgren, a self-taught animator she hasn't been told by anyone what she could or couldn't do or what she can or cannot. She established Adriatic Animation, an independent studio in Croatia together with her creative collaborator Drasko Ivezic in the midst of a time when opportunities didn't arise. In this movie the duo did everything, from writing, producing, directing and even voiced the two principal characters Toomas (Ivezic) and Vivi (Lundgren).
Ahead of the release We spoke to Chintis about her process her inspirations, style, and process.
Inspiring:
"After creating 'Manivald that was sort of a kammerspiele, quiet but not overly full of excitement, I wanted to create something wild and crazy for a change. One of the main influences for "Toomas Under the Valley of Wolves' was the films of Russ Meyer and especially his "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. It's also the reason my film (and the posters on the walls of Alejandro) came to be named. It's a great moment to watch when Barzell, Z-Man, goes insane and the (so much as it is quite mild) film turns to horror. That was the inspiration for the scene in which Alejandro goes berserk and starts to chase Toomas ."
on the process of writing as well as humor
"I consider that the sense of humor is a result of growing up during the Soviet Union, watching a ton of Priit Parn films every night prior to bed. It's not something that I strive to include in my films in a deliberate manner, but it's the only way I know to approach storytelling.
The last three films I wrote alongside Drasko Ivezic. We live in the same house, so that makes the procedure quite natural. We sometimes wake up in the night, and begin making changes to the story. It was a bit difficult for me in the beginning to allow someone else to interfere in my stories. However, my films have become significantly better since meeting the man, and I believe that was a wise decision. In terms of the process, usually I'm the one to initiate the project. Then I present the idea to Drasko and he's always got some opinion about it. We fight and scream and even break the furniture. Then I rewrite it. Sometimes, it's him who writes it. Then I write what he wrote in my own way. It goes on like this for the next million years. And until you're ready. ."
On style and being self-taught
"I discovered it because I was terrible in drawing. Although I used to be a professional artist, I was always averse to drawing. (Not the same thing in any way!) I had no idea to be making animated films.
I think being self-taught is beneficial. It is said that you must start by studying the craft, but then you will be able to violate the rules. However, once you know the 'right' way of doing something, it's an most convenient way and there's no need to find a different way to show your personality. If you're not sure the right way to do it is, then you're forced to experiment and you might create something new. There's no reason not to study the guidelines sooner or later. ."
On challenges faced:
"The problem is always the time. I was so much behind schedule with the production of the film (because of a million rewrites) that I had already accepted the film will never be finished in time for the deadlines for Annecy and Animafest. Since Annecy is a place that accepts work in progress, they decided to accept an animatic to see what happens. It was approved. The next step was to make the film before the festival. Also, to send reassuring messages to festival programmers ."
What is your best point of advice for budding film makers?
"My suggestion to filmmakers who are aspiring is just to do it. Be careful not to spend too much time creating your first film. It's more beneficial to make a bad film than to spend seven years (some individuals have!) making a movie, and in the end might not even be as good. You learn better from making mistakes than creating a flawless film. And then move on and make another one.
Also, pitch your idea and present your animatic a lot of people. Feedback is invaluable ."
What's next? Any upcoming projects?
"Me and Drasko have been involved in the creation of the first TV series for adults known as 'Manivald and The Absinthe Rabbits.' Toomas is also one of the principal characters in the show. We have just finished writing tons of material for it. The only thing we'd like to see is George Harrison ('The Life of Brian' from Monty Python' connection). Broadcasters would also be useful."