Slamdance 2019 – Bloeistraat 11
Inseparable best friends spend their last summer holiday of childhood amusing themselves around the house. As summer progresses their bodies start to morph and shift and an awkwardness descends on their friendship.
Interview with Writer/Director/Animator/Editor Nienke Deutz
Watch Bloeistraat 11 here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I wanted to make a film about the dynamics between two best friend where you can really feel the intensity and complexity of this relationship. I feel a lot of times friendships are represented either very innocently or more focused on the competition between friends. For the animation I wanted to use materials that are available to young teenagers so the sets would fit with their world. I wanted to show the materials and technique while at the same time tell a narrative; finding a balance between the two was a challenge I set for myself.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You'll see two girls at the onset of puberty depicted in a very physical, non-sugar coated way. The film is made with a lot of love for these two characters and for the art of animation film.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The film deals with a friendship between two characters that are at the beginning of their puberty, everyone above 11 years old has been through this stage in life.
I tried to make the girls and the house unspecific, almost like archetypes, so there is space for the audience to fill in the void. You can see the friendship between the characters as a symbol for any relationship that falls apart.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I always simultaneously draw, write, build sets and do material tests. That way the visuals and the used technique can really tell the story because some images don't translate to words and the other way around. I wrote a ton of scenes and made so many sketches. In the end, when the narrative was formed, some scenes made it and others did not. Sometimes I came back to stuff I though was unusable; It was a real organic process.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been great, really overwhelming. A lot of people relate to the characters in the film and it takes them back to their first friendships or breakups. Also the animation technique is something that people comment a lot about.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It is great that the film resonates with a broad audience: male, female, old and young.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
World fame!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I'm always open to get into contact with people that relate to the film and this kind of filmmaking.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope people who watch the film find an opening to relate to the characters and the story, I don't want their motivation to be completely explainable. It would be nice if the audience is left with some questions that they have to figure out for themselves. Also I hope that the love for animation shows.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What defines a relationship between friends?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am working on a new animated short and work as an animator and puppeteer on other projects.
Interview: January 2019
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
Bloeistraat 11
Inseparable best friends spend their last summer holiday of childhood amusing themselves around the house. As summer progresses their bodies start to morph and shift and an awkwardness descends on their friendship.
Length: 9:40
Director: Nienke Deutz
Producer: Lunanime
Co-producers: Need Productions, Beast Animation, Windmill Film
Writer: Nienke Deutz
About the writer, director and producer:
NIENKE DEUTZ is a Dutch director based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. With a background that started in fine Arts and evolved into animation film, she is always looking for inventive ways to use animation techiques to tell her narratives. Her debut film Bloeistraat 11 won numerous awards, including the Cristal at Annecy Festival 2018 and is showing at festivals all over the world.
LUNANIME is one of the key players in the world of Belgian 2D animation. The company is part of the Lumière Group and was founded by CEO Annemie Degryse. Lunanime stands for top quality films and specialises in classical 2D hand drawn and computer animation. Combining artistic creativity with an international network of co-production and financing partners, Lunanime stands out as the one-stop animation company in the Benelux.
Looking for: journalists, film festival directors
Instagram: @nienke_deutz
Website: www.nienkedeutz.com
Other: IMDB
Funders: Flanders filmfund, Netherlands Film Fund, Wallonia-Brussels Federation
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Slamdance 2019