Studio Presentation: Les films de l' Arlequin
The Paris-based studio Les Films de l'Arlequin has since 1991 focused on finding the right colors to suit its melancholic but deeply humane themes.
Its recent efforts include Sandra Desmazieres' Bao (Annecy-selected), an adventure of a boy and his sister, and Agneszka (dir. Izabela Bartozik Burkhardt, Annecy-selected), a bittersweet family story of a girl who dreams of her absent mother.
The 14-min short Mendelssohn is on the roof (dir. Jean-Jacques Prunès based on the novel by Jiři Weil) was multi-awarded at various animation festivals, and presents a story of musical racism in 1942 Prague.
A feature-length film, La Traversée (The Crossing, dir. Florence Miailhe), and is due in December 2013. Projects in development include the short film El Canto by Inés Sedan (The Man who slept), the story of a woman who is forced to keep silent, yet finds her voice through music.
Padre by Santiago « Bou » Grasso (responsible for the sardonic El empleo) presents a woman in 1983 Argentina who sinks daily into melancholy by the ticking of a clock.
Both short films are due to complete in 2012.
Watch Mendelssohn is on the roof below: