A summer music camp; We follow the Horn Player, the Conductor, and the conductor’s son, Franz. Their stories are woven into a triangular drama, filled with music and rapid shifts between fun and seriousness.
Franz is following the intrigues; some are nasty some are funny. A friendship with the bullied Horn Player grows slowly. Franz finds the courage to surmount his fear with the help of a French Horn that not only is seven meters long – it can conjure as well.
Swedish title: Bland Tistlar
Length: 46 minutes
Year of release: 2005
Age: For kids from 5-12
Technique: Cut-out on multi-plane.
Distribution: Folkets bio (Sweden) Coriander film (Norway), Les Films Du Preau (France), Delphis Film (World)
Directors: Lotta Geffenblad, Uzi Geffenblad
Script: Uzi Geffenblad
Screenplay: Lotta Geffenblad, Uzi Geffenblad
Animation/Art-work/Photo: Lotta Geffenblad
Producer: Uzi Geffenblad
Voices: Bengt-Åke Håkansson (the Conductor),
Ronn Elfors-Lipsker (the Horn Player),
Noon Geffenblad (Franz, the boy)
A little about the production:
Among the thorns took approx. 7 years to produce. About 4 of them were dedicated for the animation process, created without any aid of computers. The film is made in a proprietary animation technique. From a Swedish perspective, at the time the film was made it was the longest movie ever made in the “Stop Motion”, more definite as “Cut Out”.
We hope to create a separated page devoted to the story of the production.
(An excerpt from the Dream scene)
You can purchase a DVD
in French here >>
or in Swedish here >>
The film is also available on 35-mm. Contact Delphis Film for further information.
Awards:
• Grand Prize for Best Feature film in 4th CICDAF | China | 2007
• Kesckemét City Award in KAFF | Hungary | 2007
• Special Jury Award in MONSTRA | Portugal | 2007
• Best Feature Film in Tehran Int. Animation Festival | Iran | 2007
• 1st Prize Animated Short Film or Video in Chicago Children’s Film Festival | USA | 2006
• The CICAE Award in Paris Ciné Junior | France | 2006
• Best Feature Animation Film in Tindirindis | Lithuania | 2005
• Special Distinction in Animafest | Croatia | 2005
More credits:
Additional voices: Lars-Göran Persson, Mia Tinglöf, Sirkka Hannula, Helene Almqvist
Music: Uzi Geffenblad
Sound: Uzi Geffenblad, Hans-Erik Ahrn
Mix: Movie Track / Hans-Erik Ahrn
Editing: Uzi Geffenblad
Orchestra: Students from Norrtälje communal music school
Orchestra leader: Bengt Hilding
Additional instruments: Sirkka Hannula (Oboe), Anna-Maria Nordström-Gäfvert (Fagot), Uzi Geffenblad (Horn solo)
Additional animation: Kerstin Rosenqvist (2-D), Mia Tinglöf (3-D)
Studio assistants: Johan Isaksson, Maria Andersson, Michael Björkegren, Conny Boman, Katarzyna Dochnowska, Finn Engström, Frida Frimodt, Ursula Haas, Josefine Hasselberg, Jessica Lundberg, Emelie Negelius, Henrik Skoog, Klas Tauberman, Erik Zaring, Susanne Andersson, Yvonne Asselmeyer, Linda Gäfvert, Andrea Israel, Carina Ivarsson, Sofia Jakobsson, Gunilla kaipa, Eva Osterman-McVeigh, Gertrud Pigor, Agneta Palmgren, Chris Stenmark, Henrik Vikman
Lab: Filmteknik Light: Börje Sundberg Scanner: Janne Lundqvist Optical Audio: Europa Stuios
Original format: 35-mm, 1:1,66, Dolby Digital
Display format for TV: DigiBeta, 16:9 anamorph.
The film was supported by: The Swedish Film Institute (SFI), Commissioners Charlotta Denward and Bitte Eskilsson (script support), The Danish Film Institute (DFI), Commissioner Charlotte Giese, Nordic Film and Tv Fund (NFTF), Janette Sundby, Konstnärsnämnden and Landstinget i Stockholm.
