INTERVISTA A IRINA LITMANOVICHI
by Francesca Villani

Did you take inspiration from anybody or anything for your film?
When I came to study animation at High Courses of directors and screenwriters in Moscow, I had to choose some story for my future diploma film. I had some ideas but a passion to make film based on Jewish story was stronger because I have lived in Israel before. And I went to the library to look for material. I've read different Jewish fairy tales and then I met a head of this library and told him about my work. He showed me this poem. He wanted to publish it in the book about wise men of Khelom. I read it and decided that it will be my film.

Can you describe the process of accomplishment of your film, from the initial idea to the finished product?
It's very long, painful and difficult process. Every film begins with idea or with a feeling that leads to the realization of this idea. From a picture or a few that you imagine very clear. Like a landscape that you see through the window of the house that you visit for the first time. So when I read this poem many times I saw these seven old men sitting together in a small dark room and thinking a lot about very simple things. I saw how they go to the counsel. Different old men each with his own fate and life. To find the right decision for other people who don't know what to do. How they doubt, argue and agree. And finally find this decision. And they are very glad that they did it. Like me in different life situations.
At the same time I wrote a script of this poem. It was unfinished and has changed during all the process of making film. But some details remained - like the mouse that jumps out of the clock.
The characters became alive and very close people for me. And I started to draw many situations, poses, expressions of them. Different sketches of shtetl Khelom. Of people living there. With my teacher of animation, we developed their movements, walks, emotions. And at the same time I was working on storyboard of the film. I tried to find the structure of the film: its rhythm, its temp, the timing and the content of each scene. First a small part was finished - storyboard of the first counsel. Later it was clear that the film started to exist from this place. And so on.
Together with drawing and making storyboard it was necessary to think about the technology and the musical part of the film. How to make these characters handy for shooting. How to keep them alive like it was found in sketches - in many cases animation characters and the world they live in lose there relish on the way film's realization. At this phase I've got some advises from Y.B.Norshtein whose technology of cut-out animation I've chosen for my film. He explained to me what material should be used for making characters and what paint is suitable for ground - some technical details that are so important for cut-out animation. When I started to shoot, Igor' Skidan-Bosin - wonderful cameraman - helped me a lot: the atmosphere and the light of the film are his contribution. It was a great fortune to work with such kind of a master.
As for the musical part - we worked together with my father who lives in different town (Voronezh). I showed him the poem and he composed the music very fast. It's fantastic - he can open a book with a poem he likes and play, like it's not a poem but a printed music. Every time when there was something new he called me and played the music by telephone. It has changed with the film. And he played very different version of final music when all the film was shot.
So, this process is very complicated. And every time it depends of the material that was taken for the film. But surely it begins from feeling and idea and develops into script and storyboard with sketches of the whole world of the film with its sounds and music.

Il tuo cortometraggio si basa su una poesia russa in Yiddish, ma si legge anche come una favola per bambini. Your film is based on a Russian Yiddish poem but can be also seen as a tale for children. What did particularly fascinate you in choosing this subject?
It's really so - from on one hand it is a very simple story that every child can understand, on the other hand - it concerns also to grown up people. For children many things seem clear cause they believe often in impossible things that grown ups don't as they are grown ups. That is why children love animated films: another reality is more convincing than daily life. In my film I tried to make the world interesting for everybody. It depends not just on the story but also on the artistic decision of the film. It was possible to draw it all by another more simple way like many cartoons are made - but for me it wouldn't be so interesting. In animation film it's possible to create the world that could be a metaphor to real life. It is kind of poetry that you can watch and listen. In this story people always have some problem. They can survive until they loose their patience. And then they go to another men, wiser, to ask for their help. But wise men are also men and they also can lose their patience. And it is like a vicious circle - if you find decision for one problem, another comes right away. I liked the story because I understood that it's possible to make a metaphor to the whole vital occurrence. It's rather well known that an author can reflect his life and his attitude to it using his work. And if this attitude will find reaction of other people - then it is possible to believe that it is luck.

Devoting to animation was it a choice, a passion, a job or you went into it by chance?
When I was studying at school there was a girlish tradition to make questionnaires to be filled by other girls and boys in the class. Everyone had such kind of colorful book. Me too. Without fail there was a question - what is your future profession or who would you like to be when you'll be grown up? I always wrote two things as I remember: animator artist or couturier. The last - was for my mother.
I remember one exhibition in Voronezh - the city where I lived for 14 years and finished school. Moscow's "Souzmultfilm" studio brought many different pictures, characters, backgrounds from my favorite films. One of them there was F.Khitruk's "Vinnie the Pooh"! (It was hard to imagine that he will teach me after so many years.)
And I couldn't believe that I see all these characters drawn on paper or celluloid. They were alive for me. It was real shock. And then I began to think that I can also draw them. I thought that I realize very clear how to make a film. Especially when TV-program began to translate Disney's animated cartoons.
Then I forgot about it for some years. I wanted to be a painter. I went to Jerusalem after school, there I played at the theatre and studied at Academy of Art for two years. At the third year I had to choose one of the specializations for the next two years. And I chose animation. I finished it with diploma animation film "The Letter" based on a short story of Daniel Kharms. Then I sent it to the international festival "Krok" which took place on a steamboat. And suddenly I was invited to this festival as participant from Israel. I met there all my favorite masters of Russian animation and decided to come to Moscow for continuing my studies at this domain. So partially it was by chance and partially by choice. I think that in each occupation if you really love it all of these ingredients - passion, choice and chance work together.

What are your cultural roots as an animation filmmaker?
I think that everything plays part in individual's formation of each profession: people he meets, country and city he lives in, his friends - actually there are not many of them. Books, films, performances, music - whatever falls under perception and comprehension.
I can say that I have some very important people and artists in different kinds of art that surely have influenced me. The films of Chaplin, Tarkovsky and Fellini are of great significance for me. Of artists - Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Degas and Monet, Pavel Fedotov. Of writers - Bulgakov and Dostoevsky. In music - Bach, Nino Rota and Chaplin. In animation art - Y.Norshtein. I can enumerate many more - I mentioned only few of them. The most important thing for these artists is bringing out people's feelings, finding artistic image of vital events, people, time. All of these things are interesting for me in art.
All I'm able to do and all I presently know I owe to some people I've met and to my parents that devoted much time to my development and education from the early childhood. In the artistic school in Voronezh I had a teacher - E.A.Petrova. We were 12 years old when we started to study and she treated us like we were already grown ups. And our attitude was appropriate - it was a shame to draw badly. A.Zagorodnyh is an artist and a head of the studio that I went to after finishing artistic school. At his exhibition I saw a small watercolor picture named "Horizontal" - I liked it so much that I wanted to sell the piano to purchase the picture. According to my understanding the piano was the most valuable thing in our house. Then, when I submitted with the fact that it's impossible, I was happy to be acquainted with the artist and started to draw at his studio. And before my departure to Israel he said: "Ira, you know all of my works already. I want to present you something. Choose any!" And I choose the "Horizontal".
In Israel I met a lot of wonderful people who helped me a lot in this new country - I can write about them a lot. I've played for five years at "Mikro" theater in Jerusalem. The director of this theater - I.Gorelik - is my main teacher in life and in art. All the years that I've lived in Israel were in close touch with her opinion.
During the of studying two years at High Courses of directors in Moscow I've spoken with people whom I've seen just in TV programs. F.S.Khitruk , Y.B.Norshtein and V.P.Kolesnikova told me how to make animation films. V.P.Kolesnikova was teaching moving - the thing that animation consists of. Without it characters can't live on the screen. When somebody asks her who animator is, she answers straight away: "The drawing actor". So my theatrical experience helps me a lot in the working on films.
As for "cultural roots as an animation filmmaker" - it is hard to speak about it because it is so global. It looks like an analysis of course of life. I think it will be more truthful to re-embody this analysis into works.

Digital animation is in your opinion a matter of technique or a kind of art?
Animation is kind of art. "Digital" means that you can use digital equipment, like computer or camera. It is just an instrument to make something.

Your film is very ironic. Can you explain the sense of the final dance of the characters?
The sense is that not always people can find decision from difficult situation straight away. Even the wisest of sages. When you are joy of life - holiday comes and all difficulties are forgotten and stop existing. Stop existing temporary at least. Dances accompany every holiday in Jewish tradition. I also like dancing.

What is the message of the film, if there is any?
I didn't try to message anything. I just wanted to tell one of the stories that had happened to Khelom people.

What are you presently working at? Have you got new projects in the field of animation, or has your film been just a step towards something else?
Now I work on different projects. Animation related and not only. I draw, I make animation for other films. Not long ago I started teaching children in animation studio.
I have some concepts that I'd like to realize. One of them is - to make the film based on memories and my parents' tales. Various amusing events that have happened to me starting from when I was three years old in Leningrad, Rostov-on-Don and Voronezh where I was living with my parents. One of the most important things in the movie will be life in Jerusalem. And later on - in Moscow. I would like to try to capture the time, when I have been living and still do, myself in this time and in concrete situations, to create modes of people who I get in touch with and to transmit the poetry of these amazing cities, where I got lucky to live - "Life sketches".
Another concept is based on fables and tales about seven sages from Khelom. In no circumstances it will be the continuation of the previous film. It will rather be an evolution of sages' tempers over various funny, sad, touching and wise stories which they subsist in. And after my trip to Italy I'd like to make a story about seven sages in Rome. I was very impressed by Jewish ghetto, an atmosphere there. I think it might be very interesting to locate these seven old Jewish men in the time of Rome empire and to develop there travel through the time and different places in the world.
And also there is one story by I.-B.Singer A film concerning life which is not ended after death and that the own world and close people will always be with people who need them.
There is also additional conception of making an animated film based on the story of I.-L.Peretz. This is a parable about the goat which standing on the ground could get stars from the sky with his horns. Based on fabulous plot, I would like to try to understand what brings real joy and happiness to people.
It's rather difficult to find financing of own ideas. That is why I can just develop my ideas at home now. Ideally I'd like to shoot my own films independently of any animation studios in Moscow. It means - to have my own producer and own studio.

How do you envisage the future of animated films? Is animation relevant in your country? Is it popular among young people?
Till the beginning of 90-s in Russia (former Soviet Union) there was binding financing of animation by government. All of the efforts were concentrated on solving the creative problems. Owing to this fact a powerful animation school was formed - studio "Souzmultfilm". 36-40 animated films were released every year. Besides, the binding wide film distribution was provided without any dependence on commercial success. As a result films were available for watching to every spectator. They were different in their technology and author's style. I.P.Ivanov-Vano, R.A.Kachanov, F.S.Khitruk, Y.B.Norshtein, E.V.Nazarov, A.Y.Khrzhanovsky, G.Y.Bardin, V.M.Ugarov - many generations of children were grown up with the films of these masters and many generations of students were taught by them.
Now many of filmmakers make full-length films or serials that can cover themselves by distribution at cinemas and on TV. The decisive questions are how spectacular it will be and how it will be accepted by wide audience. The government financing is limited. Short author films don't have commercial realization. People who practice film distribution aren't interested in short author films. That is why those who want to shoot there own films wait for government financing for a long time or look for independent producers. This is also not simple because it is not clear what arguments could convince a man who has money to invest it to animated film creation and what profit he will get out of it.
New author animated films can be only seen in festivals, in special programs in some cinemas or in the internet - http://vision.rambler.ru/cartoons/
There is a site that includes all the information about Russian animation: directors, screenwriters, artists, animators, actors, films - http://www.animator.ru/db/?ver=eng
There are some studios in Moscow that make films constantly. One of them is "Pilot" studio. They make series of films named "Mountain of gems" based on fairytales of different nations in Russia - http://www.pilot-film.com/ (presently the site is only in Russian).
"Metronom" studio - they finished making a cycle of short films based on different lullabies. The name of the cycle is "Lullabies of the world" - http://www.lull.ru/eng/index.html

What are your impressions on Italy?
I've dreamed to come to Italy. And it was a great event for me. When I found myself in the hotel of Cetraro in the middle of the night I thought that it is a palace. In the morning when I came out I saw Garden of Eden - olive and mandarin groves at the seaside make such kind of impression. Probably Adam and Eve walked in the same garden.
I like brown color very much. And it was the first coincidence in Rome - everything is in brown-ochre color spectrum there that is why I felt very naturally in this city right away. All the things that I've read and I've learnt earlier at artistic school and then in the Academy of Art, was apprehended only at the level of pictures, literature, fairytales - something that is not truthful and very far. But here I absolutely believed that all of it really was many ages before the Christianity and still is. And the Christianity is just a phase in history of mankind.
Michelangelo. I saw Moses. And Sistine Chapel. It made a great impression on me as a vital event with crowds of people that pass through the chapel, throw back their heads and stand in this position for hours. People from all over the world who spent hours in line beforehand! The Wall of Last Judgment and the ceiling. And Pieta at St.Peter's cathedral. Caravaggio also was very impressive for me. Although I saw just a small part of all his works, I guess. Italians are wonderful. Once I needed to reach piazza Ragaca by bus. A driver didn't know this stop. Then most people in the bus started inquiring for it in file until one lady raised her hand and said that she knows exactly where to exit. I was in Barberini and Doria Pamphili museums. But mainly I was strolling about the city and couldn't stop. When I came back to Moscow I continued walking in Rome in my night dream till I woke up because in my dream I couldn't reach via Margutta since there is no such street in Moscow.

biography

Irina Litmanovich was born in Russia in 1980. She went to Israel in 1997 as part of the SOKHNUT Program and was admitted to the Department of Visual Communication at the "Bezalel"Arts Academy in Jerusalem. She graduated in 2002 and completed her diploma film The Letter, an animation étude based on motifs in the works of Daniil Kharms. During these years she also performed in plays at the "Mikro" Theater (Irina Gorelik, artistic director). 2001- 2002 she worked in the photo archive of Yad Vashem, the Museum of Memory and Catastrophe, in Jerusalem, and between 2002 and 2003 as an editor and graphic designer in the publishing house of the Open University in Tel-Aviv.

She returned to Moscow in the winter of 2004 and worked on several films in the The Mountain of Gems (Gora samotsvetov) project at the Pilot Studio: as artistic director on Natal'ia Berezovaia's The Ram and the Goat (Pro barana i kozla, 2004), as assistant director on Mikhail Aldashin's and Oleg Uzhinov's About Ivan the Fool (Pro Ivana Duraka, 2004), and as assistant artistic director on Andrei Sokolov's The Evolution of Petr Sentsov (Evoliutsiia Petra Sentsova, 2005).

In 2004 she started her studies in the Advanced Courses for Directors at the Shar School-Studio (workshop of Fedor Khitruk and Aleksei Demin). She finished her studies in 2006 with her diploma film Khelom's Customs, based on a poem by Ovsei Driz.


filmography

2002 The Letter (animation short), screened at the KROK-2003 Festival

2005 Khelom's Customs (diploma film), screened at the 2006 Suzdal Animation Film Festival
Third Prize for Animation at the XIII St. Anna Festival of Debut and Student Films (Moscow, 2006).
Silver Warsaw Phoenix at the III Jewish Motifs Festival (Warsaw, 2006).
Screened at the XXVIII Moscow International Film Festival (Moscow, 2006).
Diploma "For humor and absurd" at the International film festival KROK-2006 (Russia).
Screened in the special programs "Animation for children", "Stars of students" of the 11-th International Animation Festival, Hiroshima 2006, at the festival in Espinho, 2006, "I Castelli Animati" (Italy, 2006). Participation in the forum of animation Drezden-Zagreb 2007.


Publication about "Khelom's customs" - http://www.kinokultura.com/2006/13vlitmanovich.shtml.
http://www.aen.ru/outputpfriendly.php?subdiv=russia&id=1714(in Russian)