In Switzerland, a small society of authors of short animation became, with its first length, in a whole film producing, the second in importance within its country, and that “maintaining as far as possible a horizontal structure”, according to one of its main figures, Clémencie punwhich has come with several shorts and two long: “The life of zucchini”also called “Zucchini’s life”and “Sauvages”.
Both Films triumphed in Annecy, the most important festival of animation cinema. But also “Zucchini”on a orphan that a new family finds, all European awards were won, including those of the public at various festivals, and stroked the Oscar. AND “Sauvages”of 2024, where a girl learns to live in the jungle, and to defend her with her native relatives, won until the terrible enfants of Gijon, and continues to reap.
Clémencie pun They present them this weekend at the San Martin Cultural Center, as part of an interesting baptized movement Switzerlandwhere there are film functions for various ages, video game workshops, drawings and dolls, talks and exchanges with local artists. The visual artist also participates in Switzerland Myriam Gamperiwho makes workshops with children and adolescents, the video game specialist Aditya undandand too Powerpaolafrom Colombia, Titihoonfrom Venezuela, and the Argentine graphic humorist Gustavo Sala.
We dialogue with Clémencie pun:
Journalist: How is your agenda for this weekend?
Clémence pun: Today I have a talk explaining how animation works with plasticine, then a workshop for the boys to make their own experience, enjoy it as something playful, within reach, and then a master-class focused on the most industrial aspect, with its production and distribution edges. In all three cases, I expect the exchange of experiences, answer questions, and show what the path of our Helium Films is like.
Q.: That, tell me what Helium Films is.
CP: It is a very small company, compared to any of Hollywood, but within Switzerland it is the second film producer. He was born in 2002 as a collective of artists, a small cooperative headed by Eli Chapuis, Claude Bars, author of the lengths, and a friend in charge of the numbers. We make short of all kinds, traditional animation, stop-motion, collages, according to the creativity of each one, but no advertising cinema, also the agencies always want everything in a hurry and their liking. Unique exception, an institutional for an NGO that struggles for the conservation of native forests, which fully coincides with our “sauvages”.
Q.: To make the lengths they had to hire a lot of people.
CP: And associate with other producers, from other countries, ensuring that the Swiss contribution prevails. As for participants, I give an example, over seven years “Sauvages” required about 250 people, among the preproduction and search for financing teams, construction of scenarios and about 100 dolls, filming in 16 different scenarios, subsequent assembly and sound, etc. Only filming took us nine months, and a whole year postproduction, to which the launch is added.
Q.: Are you still as a cooperative?
CP: Not legally, but we maintain the horizontal work spirit, where everyone participates, avoiding as much as possible the pyramid structure of other producers. Beyond Helium, there is a lot of animation talent in Switzerland, and we want to give it a hand. I would like to channel that talent, and also guide the financiers to put money in the animation. We have made short, long, now we also plan to make an animation series, which would be the third in the history of the Swiss audiovisual.
Q.: And we only know “Heidi”, who was Japanese. A question, how was your life before Helium?
P.: I studied for this, I worked on the production of animated series in Paris, until one day, I was 25 years old, I did not want to live in Paris, I returned to Switzerland and immediately entered the -Then -small society. That is my life. And now, for an invitation from Juan Manuel Domínguez, curator and general producer of Switzerland, I am here showing ours, also that of others very valuable, and knowing the Argentine animation of Juan Pablo Zaramella, the girls of Moco Films, and other artists. A nice exchange.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
