Roger Ballen's Theatre of Apparitions
2016 · 5 min · ★ 7.0 · Animation
An animated theatre of dismembered people, beasts and ghosts, dance, tumble, make love and tear themselves apart, a nightmarish subconscious world, in black and white.
Directed by Emma Calder
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The Queen's Monastery · 1998The Queen's Monastery
★ 5.31998
MovieAnimation
Inspired by Leos Janacek's Sinfonietta, The Queen's Monastery is about a woman whose lover, a former acrobat, has returned to her from war a changed man. Using a highly individual watercolour technique the narrative explores themes of love, escapist fantasy, obsession and guilt.
Boudica: A Norfolk Story · 2013Boudica: A Norfolk Story
2013
MovieAnimation
Despite a gap of nearly two thousand years, Boudica remains at the forefront of the public imagination. Her story has been passed down the generations from the original writings of the Romans and she has been continually reinvented to serve as a woman of our age. Set against beautiful watercolours of Norfolk, Emma Calder's film looks at Boudica the woman, what motivated her to keep her freedom and what her story means to us now, that we know so much more about her and her people from recent archaeology. The film shows Boudica and the Iceni tribe and their rebellion against the Romans in first century Britain. The film contrasts the worlds of the indigenous people and their Roman Invaders. In Boudica A Norfolk Story, The film contains all the key ideas about this very interesting period in British history whilst being attractive, playful and engaging for all ages.
The Drummer · 1989The Drummer
1989
MovieAnimationFantasy
An itinerant drummer boy is visited in his sleep by a beautiful princess. She requests his help in escaping from an evil witch who has entrapped her on the glass mountain. He sets out to find the mountain and is helped on his way by a rather pathetic old giant and a magic butterfly who lends him a pair of wings. Finally, he arrives at his destination and the witch sets him to work on three impossible tasks... The Drummer was one of the winning entries in 'The Magic Mirror' competition to find new animators for children's stories. The main condition was that the stories had to be adapted from existing fairy or folk tales. The series was sponsored by Kelloggs and the series producer was Anne Wood of Ragdoll Productions. Shown on ITV, world wide TV, video and at international animation festivals.
Madame Potatoe · 1983Madame Potatoe
1983
MovieAnimationComedy
A film about the pressure which society puts upon people to project different images, particularly the image of success. Through the medium of potato printing the film shows how Madame Potatoe struggles to cope within the world in which she is placed. She retreats into the earth leaving her image to continue along its own increasingly exploitative path. Madame Potatoe was first shown as part of Emma Calder's MA show at the RCA, which comprised a life-sized, motorised Madame Potatoe eating crisps and watching the film on telly. She was sat in a room papered with Madame Potatoe print wall paper. Shown at the Tate Gallery, animation festivals, CH4 TV and world wide TV. Madame Potatoe print bought by the V&A for the prints and drawings collection. Many press clippings and associated articles are available.
The Kings of Siam · 1992The Kings of Siam
1992
MovieAnimation
A pair of Siamese Twins live and work as part of a travelling fair. One dreams of being a rock and roll star, while the other dreams of scoring the winning goal for England in the 1966 World Cup final.
Springfield · 1986Springfield
1986
MovieAnimation
A range of drawing techniques are used to explore themes of domestic alienation and romantic fantasy about housewives, hoovering, bingo halls and a cat. The film's idiosyncratic humour increases the impact of a film 'ultimately... about coming to terms with obsession, desperation and personal fear'.
Ice Cream and Jelly and a Punch in the Belly · 1997Ice Cream and Jelly and a Punch in the Belly
1997
MovieAnimation
A surreal party game of musical bumps with sinister undertones based on 'Lord of the Flies'.
The Turd Family go on Holiday · 1989The Turd Family go on Holiday
1989
MovieAnimation
Using powerful imagery, black humour, and a liberal helping of appalling bad taste, the directors set out to draw people's attention to the state of British beaches.
Beware of Trains · 2022Beware of Trains
2022
MovieAnimation
A woman with extreme anxiety is devoured by four major preoccupations - the man she met by chance on a train, her dying father, her daughter's safety, and the murder she dreams she has committed.
Ilkla Moor Baht Hat · 1981Ilkla Moor Baht Hat
1981
MovieAnimation
Animated paper cut-outs. An amusing interpretation of the traditional Yorkshire circular song. A man goes courting on Ilkla Moor without his hat, catches his death of cold, dies, is buried, gets eaten by worms, the worms are eaten by ducks, and the ducks are, finally, eaten by the man's friends.
House of Love · 2025House of Love
2025
MovieAnimation
Love, sex, desire, trauma, fantasy, spiritual ideas and peace. The power of the brain, the subconscious. An end of life story, to give joy to herself and those she loves.
James Bonk in Matt Blackfinger · 1988James Bonk in Matt Blackfinger
1988
Movie
The parody of the famous agent thriller is a production of The Japanese American Toy Theatre of London. The cast was recruited solely from a toy depot. 0017 James Bonk, for instance, is played by a small plastic Godzilla, his colleague 0016, who is murdered by being painted black, by a wind-up eggplant.
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