Breakfast with Udahnut zivot [Imbued Life]
Interview with Ivana Bosnjak and Thomas Johnson, co-directors of Udahnut zivot [Imbued Life]
What inspired you to tell this story? What is your interest in taxidermy?
We were inspired to create this film after having a taxidermy animal sitting on our shelf in our apartment in Zagreb. The pine marten was preserved in a moment; a still life staring down at us, as if it were expressing a part of its self but we were unable to communicate a response. Through our film Imbued Life we sought to explore the relationship with nature further. We are both fascinated with nature and animals and this film allowed us to present an introspective reflection upon the beauty of the “consciousness” or “life force” of nature. Taxidermy is often just seen as a macabre discipline. There is a visceral gore accompanying the practical act of preparing the dead flesh of an animal, the act of killing animals is essentially wrong. However the philosophical connotations of preserving and resurrecting life though the taxidermy process is interesting to us and many parallels can be drawn with the process of animation.
What sort of research did you do (in terms of photography, animals, etc.)?
We read some books and articles about taxidermy and by contemporary artists who use the practice in conceptual ways to speak about the natural world. We also conducted a lot of research with regards to sizes and forms of animals in order to make the puppets as accurately as we could. We have both had some experience working in dark rooms for developing photography and our director of photography (Ivan Slipčević) helped us with the scenes pertaining to photography.
Tell us more about the soundtrack.
The soundtrack is an important facet of the film. We worked with a wonderful sound designer and friend, Andrea Martignoni. We chose to keep it relatively minimal, creating an atmospheric audio layer to enhance the emotional journey of our protagonist. We wanted it to feel almost as if being submerged underwater throughout the film, and then to further express her relief by clarifying the soundtrack as if emerging from beneath the water at the resolving climax.
What drew you to animation? How would you describe your style and technique?
I (Thomas) have been interested in animation particularly stop-motion since a young age but it was only after meeting Ivana that I began my career in animation. We met in Volda, Norway where Ivana studied animation, and after she graduated moved together to Zagreb and began working on a short film. The style and technique of our films can be described in objective terms as being puppet, stop-motion animation. We choose to work with a traditional ethos; making everything that we can in camera rather than with CG effects or enhancements. In an aesthetic sense we strive towards realism, and more experimental narrative structures. It’s hard to prescribe one’s own work with a “style” especially when we are not actively trying to create or adhere to one.
How was it working together?
Wonderful! Imbued Life is our second co-directed short film, we share similar tastes and have an ignited kindred spirit for the art form. The process is probably so much easier; being able to converse and work in partnership to create a film. We share the work, the concept, the modelling and animation.
Are there any works of art or films that have inspired you?
Lots, probably too many to mention, but our shared list would certainly include works of Jan Švankmajer, Andrei Tarkovsky and the Quay Brothers.
Would you say that the short film format has given you any particular freedom?
Certainly, we believe that the short film form has given us the opportunities to stay close to our inspirations without diluting ideas to conform to a larger production team. This freedom allows us to work more independently with a small number of close friends, permitting us to take control of the modelling and animation production. We can freely make changes to the film during the production and don’t feel so constrained by overwhelming obligations to others.
Udahnut zivot [Imbued Life] is part of International Competition I8.
