Prague's Eallin Produces Epic for Amnesty International
Directed by Carlos Lascano, the animated short marks its 50th anniversary with a mix of techniques.
Ealllin Motion Art Produces Epic Animated Piece
for Amnesty International's 50th Anniversary
Amnesty International, the global human rights organization, marked its 50th Anniversary on May 28 with the release of a two-minute animated film that recounts, in harrowing style, its half-century commitment to protecting victims of political strife and abuse. The film, titled "Standing Up for Freedom," was produced by the Prague-based animation and mixed media production company Eallin Motion Art and Madrid-based DreamLife Studio and was directed by Carlos Lascano. It features a score composed by Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer and Academy Award-nominee Lorne Balfe.
AI marked its anniversary at a recent press conference in London by issuing a global call to action; the event was held on the same day in 1961 when its founder published an appeal for amnesty for two students from Portugal who were unjustly imprisoned after making a toast to liberty in the midst of a strong dictatorial regime. The response to that declaration led to the founding of Amnesty International, today the world's largest human rights organization.
Eallin's film takes viewers on a metaphorical journey through the last 50 years, showing how mankind's struggle for freedom has echoed throughout history. It begins with the shot of a red flower growing in a field, when a stiff breeze comes along and blows the blossom out of the ground. Suddenly, a prison wall falls in place across the frame as the sky darkens. A variety of animated scenes then play out, using the wall as a screen-political prisoners are shot, women with children abused, hooded Ku Klux Klansmen appear with torches.
Towards the end of the film a young boy reappears; first seen at the beginning of the piece, he manages to halt a line of advancing tanks by holding the red flower up as a beacon. The action causes the wall to crumble, and it reveals the same pastoral setting seen at the start of the film as the words, "We've been standing up for freedom for the last 50 years," says a title card, "but we still have a long way to go. Be a voice. Join us."
The piece is a mix of techniques, says Lukas Skalnik, Executive Producer and Partner at Eallin. (The studio was recently profiled on SourceEcreative; you can read more about them here.) It includes everything from stop motion and traditional cell to CGI and models and miniatures.
"I wanted to capture the essence of humanity struggling to preserve the fundamental rights which all of us are born entitled to: freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, of religion, of opinion," says Lascano about the project, which took many months to complete and was produced pro bono. "No matter the obstacles, the restraints or the restrictions, our pursuit for freedom will always prevail.
"The combined creative effort of the team at Eallin has achieved an amazing integration of animation techniques," Lascano continues. "This, together with the superb contribution of Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe in the creation of the score, has helped me bring to life a spot that I hope people will identify with."
The short was produced by Lascano, Skalnik, Martin Hovorka and Paula Lema. Production Managers were Ivanna Kozak, Pavla Martinovska and Martin Stefan. It was written by Lascano and Lema. The animation and VFX team included Jiri Forejt, Martin Hanschild, Josef Kasal, Pavel Kout, Martin Licko, Dmitry Medinsky, Ondrej Pridal, Renata Stranska, Leo Verrier, David Sukup and Jiri Mlcak. Additional credits to go Michal Dvorak for sound design and Jan Cerny for final color grading.
Published 1 June, 2011
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