Personal Tribute: Jerzy Kucia
Date: May 20th, 2008, 7 p.m. (part of Experimental Night)
Location: Top Kino [Info]
Tickets:
7 Euro / 6 Euro
1 ticket for the complete Experimental Night: 8 Euro
Jerzy Kucia – A Master of Animation
Jerzy Kucia is, without a doubt, one of the few artists in international animation film who consistently contradicts traditional conceptions of the medium. In his cinematic works he masterfully combines drawing, painting, photography and edited real images. The tribute programme includes his five best works and will also subsequently give the "master of animation" a chance to tell all.
Film programme: 54 min, followed by lecture
Kucia, born in Poland in 1942, studied painting and art design at Cracow’s Art Academy and has produced thirteen animation films since 1972, in which he was responsible for the script, direction and animation, always enjoying working with representatives of the experimental polish music scene. His films were screened and received awards at many international festivals (e.g. Cannes, Oberhausen).
His films are not only complex and ambiguous technically. As far as form is concerned, they move between a reduced narrative-graphic approach and partly expressive abstraction. Atmospherically his works, often characterised as "emotional", move between distanced observation, poetry and existential exasperation, as regards content one can detect state descriptions, as well as metaphorically formulated statements (about life in general, the political system, the human nature, etc.).
Apart from his role as "avant-gardist of animation film" who consistently developed a personal language of images against the usual trends of animation film festivals, Jerzy Kucia is an exceptionally important international ambassador and supporter of animation film. For many years he represented Poland in the international ASIFA (for several years as vice president) and facilitated communication across the boundaries long before the collapse of the old political systems
Since 1980 he has directed the Department of Animation Film at Cracow’s Art Academy, where he hands on his stubborn attitude. VIS 2008 will present an exhibition of works of this studio at the festival.
> Information about Jerzy Kucia in the VIS Artists Database
FILM PROGRAMME
Powrót (The Return)
Poland 1973, 9 min
director, screenplay, design, animation: Jerzy Kucia, camera: Jan Tkacyzk, music: Bohdan Muzarek, production: Studio Miniatur Filmowych Krakow
Refleksy (Reflections)
Poland 1979, 6 min
director and design: Jerzy Kucia, screenplay: Jerzy Kucia and Ewa Gołogórska, camera: Krzysztof Stawowczyk, music: Krzysztof Suchodolski, animation: Jerzy Kucia and Marek Pieniążek, production: Studio Filmów Animowanych Kraków
Wiosna (Spring)
Poland 1980, 9 min
director, design and animation: Jerzy Kucia, screenplay: Jerzy Kucia and Ewa Gołogórska, camera: Krzysztof Stawowczyk, Marek Plata, music: Jan Kanty Pawluśkiewicz, production: Studio Filmów Animowanych Kraków
Parada (The Parade)
Poland 1987, 14 min
director and design: Jerzy Kucia, screenplay: Jerzy Kucia and Ewa Gołogórska, camera: Marek Wylon, Andrzej Jeziorek, music: Józef Rychlik, animation: Jerzy Kucia and Anna Pregler, production: Studio Filmów Animowanych Kraków
Strojenie instrumentów (Tuning Instruments)
Poland 2000, 16 min
director: Jerzy Kucia, screenplay: Jerzy Kucia and Agnieszka Kucia, design: Jerzy Kucia and Ewa Gołogórska, camera: Janusz Wierciak, musik: Vadim Chrapaczow, animation: Jerzy Kucia and Jewgienij Siewakoń, Wojciech Sobczyk, Krystyna Golędzinowska
In cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts (Animation Film Studio / Thomas Renoldner). Kucia is going to hold another guest lecture there.
Rights and world distribution:
- JERZY KUCIA PRODUKCJA FILMÓW
ul. Chrobrego 29/33
31-428 Kraków, Poland
tel/fax: 48.12.4117961