Returning to the world of feature films almost 20 years on from his multi-award-winning work District!, this week sees Hungarian director Áron Gauder competing in the 42nd Annecy Animated Film Festival (where he previously triumphed in 2005) with his brilliant movie Four Souls of Coyote [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Áron Gauder
fiche film]. It’s a masterly and universal work, accessible to all audiences, which takes a look at nature and humankind’s place on Earth, which was released in Hungarian cinemas in March and which won Áron Gauder a Best Director nomination at the most recent edition of Cartoon Movie.

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Cineuropa: What attracted you to the subject of American Indian cosmogony?
Áron Gauder: I’d read "Indian" books and watched slideshows for kids about the Wild West since I was a child. They were naïve and unauthentic stories but that was all we knew from behind the iron curtain. Later on, I’d go to camps in the Hungarian forest where we built our own tepees and lived in nature for two weeks every summer. Slowly, via the web, I discovered authentic American Indian culture and I realized that these tales and legends can tell us quite a lot, but they’re not known to the wider public. The film speaks of American Indian mythology, and it begins in our time on the construction site of an oil pipeline in a desert area illegally devastated by bulldozers. On the horizon, we see a mountain and, on its summit, activists, including a Native grandfather who tells the story of the genesis of the Earth: a journey into Native American cosmogony echoing the significant modern-day ecological concerns we have today. I wanted to draw attention to this story in an adventurous way by using animation, pointing out that we should live environmentally responsible lives and respect Mother Nature. I believe this story gives us all hope that it’s still not too late to correct the current course. This is our final chance to save our planet.

Did you carry out a lot of research before writing the script with Géza Bereményi?
Yes, this culture has actually been a part of my life since I was 18. But obviously I collected all available coyote stories before Géza and I wrote the script.

Why did you decide to add a contemporary dimension to the story: the oil industry's dispossession of Indian land?
Pipeline construction on the Standing Rock reservation was actually happening while we were working on the script. It was like a sign that we should include these events in the story, demonstrating how creation is now endangered by technical civilisation.

What choices did you make in terms of graphics? What were the main stages involved in making the film?
I’ve always had this rough kind of style, maybe inspired by cave paintings and totem poles. Obviously, North American fauna and landscapes are different from what I’m familiar with in Europe, so I had to do some in-depth research. It was a long process, and the visuals evolved as we went along. They’re a mix of real-world influences and the realm of visions and dreams. The story of the creation is told through the film’s visual construction. In the beginning there are no colours, only paper. Step by step, lightly painted watercolours appear in shades of blue water and grey skies. As the creator lifts up the sky, light appears, introducing a new graphic element. The film combines 2D and 3D, the latter only serving the background camera movements in so-called projection form.

How was the film financed?
The movie was a very special experience in challenging times. There were lots of pitches and trips during the first couple of years. Then we finally got the green light for production from the Hungarian National Film Institute. Pre-production on the film began in 2016, production commenced in early 2020, and post-production work wrapped in January. The film was produced in Hungary at Cinemon Entertainment Studios, in league with 180-200 artists, some working from abroad. The English cast includes Native American actors, and the movie was produced by Verité Entertainment in the USA and Canada.

What animation trends are you noticing around the world?
I see Marvel attacking from all directions.