The seventh Krok (Step) International Festival of Animated Films has taken place. For the second time in its decade- long history it has been held in Russia. The route of the festival ship, the Feodor Chaliapin, went from Moscow to Saint-Petersburg via Uglich, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Goritsy (Vologda region), Kizhi, and Valaam.
On the way one more journey has taken place: one to a new age of animation. The program of the present Krok was for the first time devoted exclusively to the creative work of young animators: the participants of the competition presented their films in three categories — student, diploma work, and debut. This second, and main, journey was accompanied by the tours of the leading cinematography schools of the world and made stops at the harbors with resounding names: Andrei Gzhanovsky, Paul Bush, Yuri Norshtein, Aleksandr Tatarsky, Hardi Volmer (masters of animation gave master-classes, showing retrospectives of their films). And still, even with the close of Krok-2000 it did not stop, which is only natural. Suffice to say that the average age of the contestants was 25. However trivial it might sound, they are just taking their first steps. Hence the finals, which, alas, do not always depend on the desire and will of the individual artist, remain open.
Actually, this is the core of the attractiveness and the main intrigue of this kind of film affair. It looked as though you had a chance to peer into the future, even if what you see was not always in line with your heart. In addition, the usefulness of the festival for its participants goes without saying. Countless impressions — vital, cognitive, and creative — fed new ideas. One had an opportunity to get closer to other peoples’ experience and perhaps to reevaluate one’s own. And there was a great deal of very good cinematography in the form of author’s animation that was difficult to see even in times auspicious for the cinema, and today most probably it is only possible to see at festivals. Finally, Krok gave those making their debuts the chance to find out what animation means for them — work or hobby, as Yuri Norshtein was right to note; to correlate their own creative potential with the chance to implement it. Especially today, when such rapid commercialization of world animated film and introduction of computer technologies are taking place.
This is why it is difficult to overestimate the significance of Krok. Its full-blooded creative atmosphere (easy, informal, and joyful all at once) was soaked in greedily by all its participants without exception, including those from such traditional animation countries as Germany, Belgium, Holland, France, and even Russia (though the Russians complain of a shortage of films), not to mention Ukraine, where of late animation has been taking place only around (or within?) Krok. It is wonderful that four students of the Cinematography Department of the Kyiv Theater Institute and apprentices of Yevhen Syvokin — Yevhen Alyokhin, Serhiy Kotok, Anatoly Lavrenishyn, and Oksana Chernenko — were able to attend the festival and to show their still student but quite good works.
This is to add to the long-discussed issue of whether we need international cinema festivals. This is taking into account that there are only two of them in Ukraine, Molodist (Youth) and Krok. But even those for whom the answer is clear, despite being in favor, often have little they can contribute. For this reason raising funds for the festival as a rule turns into a separate tense and rather dramatic plot, all the vicissitudes of which are well known only to one person, Krok General Director Krok Irina Kaplychna. Already in Moscow, when the festival opened in the Khudozhestvenny (Artistic) Movie Theater, after the ship finally set off, she confessed that the whole event had been in question literally until the last day.
This time it was Francois Salomon who became the kind magician for Krok; his financial assistance was decisive. Endlessly charming and at times childishly naive, Francois is a remarkable person. He is neither an animator nor producer but a simple French businessman, though as he himself recognizes, he is captivated by animation. Actually, this is no wonder. He was born in Annecy, where the famous animation festival has been held. In addition, his father’s wife Nicole Salomon is a very famous person in French animation. Eduard Nazarov, Yuri Norshtein, along with other famous Russian and Ukrainian cinematographers are frequent guests of theirs. It was in 1997 when Francois has attended Krok for the first time, and here is the result, as they say. We should note that Mr. Salomon in no way accented his role and the importance for the festival. And when the directors invited him to be a member of the jury evaluating the best costume during the carnival that was taking place in the festival’s Reanimation Nightclub, it did not at all resemble any formal sign of attention. Francois is a very temperamental person. Those who have at least once witnessed any of our domestic lordly sponsors, who over and over stress precisely who is ordering the music, can in full measure appreciate the Frenchman’s delicacy.
The present Krok was, of course, also supported by its founders — the Ministries of Culture of Ukraine and Russia, unions of cinematographers of these countries, and Confederation of the Unions of Cinematographers — as well as by the European Union and Tacis Program, at whose initiative the filmmakers’ children from different countries, under the guidance of Elena Kasavina during the cruise, viewed a charming three-minute cartoon about fishermen whose vessel, torn apart by the water elements, still managed to sail to the sunny coast — a timely film, incidentally; by Motorola, which provided excellent quality for showing the films during the festival which had earlier frequently evoked much criticism; by the Foundation to Promote the Development of the Arts in Ukraine, which not only established its award but also helped the Ukrainian students to go to the festival. Thus by joint effort the Krok ship started out from the Moscow quay.
After sunny, well-fed, glittery, swirling Moscow, in less than a day and night we appeared in Uglich. Rain, mud, rundown architecture, and meager gifts of nature brought to the touring vessels by patient old women accompanied, humble looks of souvenir vendors that made you uneasy, giving one a sick feeling. Then came Kostroma, life there looked no more affluent. But the sun returned, and this brought some release. Especially after visiting famous Ipatian Monastery, where here and there you can see signs of revival: something is being repaired, mended, opened, it became even more joyful. Then again rain, drizzle, and drabness. Goritsy lives a very modest rural life. Its Kyrylo-Belozersky Monastery is treated with love and care, with its church undergoing restoration, irrespective of the fact that with shortage of money it is not so easy to accomplish. And the next day we met small quay of Mandrogy decorated by some Russian businessman in that pseudo-Russian style, wooden huts equipped with satellite antennas, horse riding, vodka tasting in the Museum of Moonshine, and the usual accompaniment of “national” pastimes reckoned for the foreign audience. The audience likes it, because it is fun. And after this loose life came Valaam. The strict, noble beauty of nature exceeded all our expectations. Such a blue and high sky can exist only in a picture, while the lilac should not grow in such severe places, just as the apple trees cannot survive on rocks. But they do grow and survive. Not by themselves, of course. All this is wrought by human work and was also almost destroyed by human beings as well. Today 150 monks, as rough and strict as the surrounding nature, are trying to revive the monastery’s former grandeur. Well, perhaps so far we should not speak of grandeur. Suffice it to repair the church. And although quite next to (literally window to window) the ascetic monastic life the secular life goes on with all the attractions of its impoverished, not very sober, everyday routine, but it appears that these monks will succeed. In any case, we left Valaam with the feeling of easiness and calm.
Thus, the trip left us with contradictory perceptions and stark contrasts of the world of animation. But this is another tale.
