Breakfast with Sredi Chernih Voin (Among the Black Waves)

Interview with Anna Budanova, director of Sredi Chernih Voin (Among the Black Waves)

 Can you tell us about the legend the film is based on?
This animation is based on the ancient Celtic legend in which the souls of drowned people turn into shape-shifting seals, or Selkies. But when I started to explore this story deeply, I discovered that many other peoples have similar seal-human creatures in their folklore stories. Eskimos, north Japan…

 How would you describe your animation style? Why did you opt for black and white?
I’m working with 2D hand-drawn animation. I’m still looking for my own recognizable style. I have two finished short films but each of them has a really different visual style. For me, technique defines the plot of the film or the story defines the technique in which the film is made. First, I made some black and white graphic works and had the idea to try to use it in animation. I found simple beauty and inspiration in this legend with very minimalistic northern nature, not rich in colours, with rough forms of northern animals and people.

 Are you interested in live-action filmmaking as well? Or would you like to strictly focus on animation?
Honestly, I love to do animation as an artist but I prefer to watch live-action films. After seeing a live-action film at the cinema you feel like you are still inside the story, the soundtrack still resounds in your head and you are filled with the film’s reality. I love it. I would be interested in collaborating with live-action film directors who are close to me in their film moods like Lars von Trier or Gaspar Noé to make something mixing animation and live action (but that’s just a dream!).

 Any cinematic coups de cœur in the past year you’d like to tell us about?
In animation it was Löss by Yi Zhao and Peripheria by David Coquard-Dassault. As far as live-action films are concerned, perhaps the latest was Arrival by Denis Villeneuve.

 If you’ve already been to Clermont-Ferrand, could you share with us an anecdote or story from the festival? If not, what are your expectations for this year?
It’s my first time here and I’m very excited about it! I hope to have a great time, watch cool films and of course festivals are mostly about being inspired by talented people around.

Sredi Chernih Voin is being shown in International Competition I3.