13/36
All scenes were shot on camera and then painted by over 100 artists
Story
Jagna is a young woman determined to make her own way in a late 19th century Polish village – a hotbed of gossip and ongoing feuds, where rich and poor are held together by adherence to colorful traditions and a deep-rooted patriarchy. The film consists of 40,000 paintings and 6 paintings per second of footage were used.
The painting work required 1,350 liters/300 gallons of paint
In this adaptation of Wladyslaw Reymont’s Nobel Prize-winning novel about life in a 19th century village, every man IS a pig, and so is every woman. A young woman, Jagna, is digging for gold when she marries a rich and much older widower.
Jagna tries to make her own way
When she continues to date the man’s son on the side, she gets into trouble with the father and son. «I don’t need help from men,» she says, «I’ve had enough of their help already.» This gorgeous and heartbreaking live-action film was shot from 40,000 frames of oil paintings.
It features reimagined Polish folk songs, captivating dialogue and wild, energetic dance sequences
The detailed illustrations add contrast, light, color and emotion to the actors’ performances. It was tough for the actors, who sometimes had to perform in front of green screens, but they persevered.
The directing team, a husband and wife team, attended the world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival
DK dedicated the film to her father, who supported her, and to «all women who make difficult decisions and stand up for who they are.» The directors explored the use of artificial intelligence but felt it lacked human touch, sensitivity and the element of surprise. The composer, who adapted Polish folk music to the film’s format in an incredible way, jokingly told the directors: “I spent more time with you than with my wife, so I’m sorry if she doesn’t talk to you anymore.” The filming of the film lasted four years.