PRODUCTION: Áron Gauder Works on Animated Film on Native American Creation

07-05-2022

PRODUCTION: Áron Gauder Works on Animated Film on Native American Creation

By Denes Varga

Minden a rokonom by Áron Gauder credit: Cinemon Entertainment

BUDAPEST: The production of Áron Gauder’s Minden a rokonom is approaching completion. “The animation is 95 percent complete, with five minutes left in the 100-minute film. The last phase of the work process, compositing, is halfway through, and we will be done with it by the end of 2022”, producer Réka Temple told FNE.

The film was previously titled As Long As the Grass Grows in English, but the final English title is not decided yet. All Is My Relative is the direct translation of the Hungarian title.

Minden a rokonom is a hand-drawn long animated film based on Native American folk tales, which gives an explanation about the creation of the world. It is set in an ever-evolving mythical world inhabited by animals, where the first humans seek their place. The present and the past are intertwined in the film: indigenous people are defending their home and fighting against the laying of oil pipelines in the contemporary scenes.

By presenting the magical world of Native American folklore, the film provides keys to understanding the present. "While essentially being an adventure film, Minden a rokonom does actually have a message. It’s about how we are slowly destroying the Earth because us humans think we are special. Native Americans have known that we are just a small part of creation. The story is about our shared responsibility for each other and the Earth”, Réka Temple also told FNE.

Director Áron Gauder has been a fan of Native American culture since he was a child as he grew up watching Gojko Mitic films and reading Karl May novels. The production is aware that they tackle a sensitive subject, authenticity is paramount to them, and the folk tales of the Native American tribes are treated with the utmost respect.

Two experts were also involved. Anthropologist and American Indian consultant Charles Cambridge, and Chris Eyre, the director of Sundance Audience Award-winner Smoke Signals, checked the script and visual design.

“We don’t downplay the story, we like to talk to young people in meaningful, complex sentences, but this story is not related to a specific age group, it can be enjoyed by both children and adults. It’s like when you go out into the woods and you like what you see”, said the producer.

The script was written by Áron Gauder and Géza Bereményi, and the animation director is Zsolt Baumgartner. The film is produced by Cinemon Entertainment and 120 people are working on it. The National Film Institute - Hungary has supported its production with a total of 1.9 m EUR / 707 m HUF. The total budget is approximately 3 m EUR.

“We had made several short animations with similar themes, the collaboration had been completely harmonious, so we also started working on Minden a rokonom together. It has been a long and bumpy journey, but overall very inspiring and creative especially because our imagination could soar freely during the covid,” said the producer.

Áron Gauder’s previous long animated film, The District / Nyócker (Lichthof Productions Ltd.) has won numerous awards and it was chosen as the best long animated film in 2005 at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

Minden a rokonom is set to be released in 2023.

Production Information:

Minden a rokonom by Áron Gauder, credit: Cinemon Entertainment Producer:
Cinemon Entertainment (Hungary)
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