Author: Alex Widdowson

  • “Animated documentary …. there’s no such thing!” by Scotti Rothschild

    When writing about a subject such as animated documentary it is a rare treat to come across a film that advocates, exemplifies and examines your field so directly.  Set to the rhythm of beat poetry, Scotti Rothschild has written and directed a short film studies class, designed to counter an assertion proposed by a stranger.…

  • ‘Backseat Bingo’ by Liz Blazer

    Liz Blazer – Backseat Bingo – Animated Documentary from Liz Blazer on Vimeo. Liz Blazer’s ‘Backseat Bingo’ is a joyful exploration of sexuality in the lives of senior citizens. The talking head format is brought to life by Blazer’s illustrative style and eye for caricature. As viewers we are granted extraordinary access to the interviewees…

  • ‘BBC Knowledge Explainer DNA’ by Territory Studio

    BBC Knowledge & Learning commissioned Territory Studio to create an animated explanation of the structures, processes and purposes of DNA.  The result is an exquisitely mesmeric graphic exploration of the mysterious structure. With only three minutes to work with, and an incredibly rich topic to explore, the challenge for this film was to gage the appropriate…

  • ‘The Beloved Ones’ by Samantha Moore

    Samantha Moore’s 2007 UK Film Council commissioned animated documentary explores problems of stigma and denial in a Ugandan community through the eyes of two women dealing with the effects of HIV/AIDS in their respective families. The materiality of this animation technique is charmingly tangible. Two examples are the hut roof fashioned from torn corrugated cardboard and…

  • ‘Allergy To Originality’: A New York Times Op-Doc by Drew Christie

    Drew Christie’s animation explores notions of originality through the vehicle of an uncannily informative conversation between a cinema box office attendant and an inquisitive patron. The animated sequence was commissioned by The New York Times’ Op-Doc forum, an online sub-section of the editorial department. This initiative hosts ‘short, opinionated documentaries, produced with wide creative latitude and…

  • ‘I Dreamt of Flying’ by Alex Bland

    Alex Bland conjures the atmosphere of wartime Britain in this nostalgic exploration of the R.A.F.’s Bomber Command, a battalion charged with the treacherous task of attacking German targets at the dead of night. Set out in a roughly chronological narrative, archive recordings and contemporary interviews with ex-crew members narrate the early stages of excitement during enlisting,…

  • ‘Camouflage’ by Jonathan Hodgson

    This animated documentary, directed by Jonathan Hodgson, opens with the statement, ‘Most people’s mums are mad. Mine’s got schizophrenia’. This text crafts the perspective of a child by adopting adolescent rhetoric. The tone of such a statement is carried through an extraordinary series of parallel narratives in which adults recount their experiences in childhood dealing…

  • Review of ‘Caldera’, by Evan Viera

    It is not often one comes across a CGI film with such a consistently rich sense of artistry. With his film ‘Caldera’, Evan Viera and a substantial team of supporting artists demonstrate a brilliant sense of composition, lighting design and mastery of the 3D medium. This animated short attempts to represent a series of visual…

  • ‘Acts of Terror’ by Fred Grace

    ‘Acts of Terror’ portrays the U.K Police force as an intimidating manifestation of growing state control. The 2005 Terrorism Act comes under scrutiny in this real life account of one woman’s careful navigation of the murky waters of police regulation and the U.K. legal system. The film is commendable for the incredibly clear construction of…

  • Review – ‘30%: women and politics in Sierra Leone’ by Anna Cady and Em Cooper

    This animated oil-on-glass and live action documentary is centered on the campaign in Sierra Leone to get a 30% quota of women in parliament. Titles in the film explain that women took a key role in negotiating the peace process at the end of an 11 year civil war, however since then female politicians have…