HollyShorts/Sidewalk Film Festival 2018 - Lotte that Silhouette Girl
With music, magic, and a stirring narration by Lotte Reiniger herself, LOTTE THAT SILHOUETTE GIRL tells the fairy tale story of one of animations’ biggest influencers.
Interview with Co-Director and Composer Carla Patullo
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thanks! A few years ago, I came across Lotte Reiniger’s 1922 silent short, Aschenputtel, on Youtube, and I fell in love with it. At the time, I was looking for a thesis project to score, so I created a narrative musical score to the original silent film. The film played at various festivals, and I was shocked by how many people didn't know of Lotte and her wonderful work. We knew then that we needed to make a film about her and share her story and major accomplishments in the field of animation.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Lotte Reiniger was an important contributor to the development of animated film. Many people believe that the multi-plane camera was invented by Walt Disney, but it was in fact invented by Lotte during the making of her 1926 film, The Adventures of Prince Achmed, which is the oldest surviving feature animation! Our documentary about her life is not just a factual description of what happened when, but instead, we tell her story as a type of fairy tale, one you might hear sitting around a campfire with friends. We did this because Lotte loved fairy tales, and almost all of her films are personal adaptations of one fairy tale or another. I think she would have liked to see her life adapted into a fairy tale even though it's unconventional for a documentary to do this.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
This is the story of one woman's journey of love, cruelty, sadness, hope, and hard work. These are some of the themes of her life, and since the story is told by Lotte in first person, it is very heart-warming and personal. But at the same time, the intimacy becomes universal. Lotte talks about her dreams that never came true, and most of us have experienced that in one way or another. I think when someone is as honest as Lotte is in this film, the personal becomes universal.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
We wanted Lotte to narrate the film because she is very charming, and we wanted a personal touch, like I mentioned before, as if you are sitting by a campfire listening to her tell her story. So the script is culled from a longer interview with her. We snipped and rearranged the best parts, and then we sculpted it into a fairy tale type of story. But she was reluctant to talk about the sad and cruel parts of her life, like her husband's death and WWII, so we filled in those parts with music and interpretive dance to convey the emotional impacts they had on her life. Also, we discussed bringing in a second narrator to fill in some of the missing facts of her life, but we decided that would distract from the intimacy of the magical world we were trying to create.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Our friends and family have been really supportive! Many people we screen for have never heard of her, and many people are surprised and happy to know about her and her contribution to animation. Many people have suggested that we make a feature length version, and that is now in the works. We have also learned that some people would like to know more about how she built the multi-plane camera, and puppets. We didn’t have enough time to cover that with very much specificity in our short, but we plan to incorporate more about them in our feature version.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Yes, it has given us many great ideas for our feature version of the film. We are new to the film world and to the documentary world so we broke a lot of rules when making this film, which really makes the film stand out. We are happy with the result in the end, but attending festivals with the film is like attending film school, I think. And we are constantly learning more of those rules, both for good and bad. Part of me doesn't want to learn too much because I want to stay true to my voice as a filmmaker without becoming too influenced by the industry standards. Lotte Reiniger is actually a great example of the type of independent filmmaker I would like to be. She developed such a unique and personal style that she really stands alone, almost as a complete genre that is entirely her own.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We would love for more people to be aware of it and Lotte, and of course make it out to a screening! We would like people to come out to the screenings and to spread the word about who Lotte Reiniger was and what her work has done for the world of animation. Let's turn her into the celebrated hero she should be! That is our whole point of making this film. Women and men should celebrate the female heroes of our past so that the next generation of girls can find role models in all acts of life.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Journalists and movie fans.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
If the next generation of animators, filmmakers, and the public in general become aware of Lotte Reiniger and her work, we will be be thrilled! It would be great if more young girls and boys could know her and be inspired by her.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Who do you think invented the multiplane camera? Or: who created the first feature length animation?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Along with the feature version of Lotte that Silhouette Girl, we are working on a feature documentary about another inspiring female artist, but this time it is about a musician.
Interview: August 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Lotte that Silhouette Girl
With music, magic, and a stirring narration by Lotte Reiniger herself, LOTTE THAT SILHOUETTE GIRL tells the fairy tale story of one of animations’ biggest influencers.
Length: 9:58
Director: Elizabeth Beecherl and Carla Patullo
Producer: Elizabeth Beecherl and Carla Patullo
Writer: Elizabeth Beecherl, Carla Patullo, and Jennifer Maisel
About the writer, director and producer:
Born in Lubbock, Texas, ELIZABETH BEECHERL has worked as an architect for several years on projects that have been published in The New York Times, Dwell, and many other design publications. But, after watching Lotte Reiniger’s animations and falling in love with the medium, she began making films in collaboration with co-director Carla Patullo.
CARLA PATULLO is a visual media composer who creates rich, emotionally attuned soundscapes that celebrate the power in any story. Her music is featured in the award winning film Spa Night, which premiered at Sundance. Her scores have won numerous awards, including Global Music Awards, a Music and Sound Award Finalist, and multiple Hollywood Music in Media Award nominations. White Widow Music
Key cast: Lotte Reiniger, Erica Hanrahan-Ball, Andrew Diego
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Journalists
Social media handles:
Facebook: Lotte movie
Twitter: @lottemovie
Instagram: @lottemovie
Other: http://www.lotte-movie.com/
Made in association with: Trick Studio
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
HollyShorts in Hollywood, CA
08/15 - TCL Chinese Theaters - 12:00 PM
The Hottest Shorts of Hot Docs 2018 in Toronto
08/14 - Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema - 6:30 PM
Vancouver Biennale CineFest
08/20 - Leg-In-Boot Square - 8:30 PM
Screening before Lotte Reiniger's The Adventures of Prince Achmed!
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival in Vermont
08/25 - Danna Auditorium - 7:15 PM
Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham, AL
08/25 - ASFA: Dorothy Jemison Day Theatre - 12:20 PM
And more screenings here:
http://www.lotte-movie.com/screenings/