Nagasaki Circus
Dir. Rachel Peters / Canada / 6:00 / Fiction
A masterful puppet show evocative of Lost in Translation takes viewers behind the curtain of a surreal circus, complete with chimp, elephant, poodles and stilt-walking pantomime.
What Moving Stories Films Advisors Are Saying…
Beautifully executed, visually rich and nicely animated. I liked the story and the narrator and felt it was a great piece of work.
-Gary Thomas, Filmmaker
ABOUT THE FILM:
Nagasaki Circus is a masterful puppet show taking us behind the curtain of a circus act, complete with chimp, elephant, poodles and pantomime Lurk. True to his name, we find him lurking about, observing the creatures and people around him with seeming detachment. But Lurk is not at all indifferent – his search for meaning as he navigates “another day in the life” becomes our own.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER:
Mentored by legendary animators like NFB’s Kaj Pindal and John Weldon, and sometimes described as “The Next Caroline Leaf” in artistry and innovation, Rachel Peters strives to constantly push animation to new levels – always searching out the next twist in animated filmmaking, while inserting her own, personal “quirkiness” –an adjective which has become nearly synonymous with her work.
ABOUT THE WRITER & THE STORY:
Martin Ewen is a clown on stilts, whose “job is to create wonder, joy and humour.” He was a guest performer in a Filipino circus in Nagasaki, and captured his experience online in a delightful story called Nagasaki Circus. Though his experience is unlike any that most of us ever have, the story is told in a fashion that suggests just another day at the office. You may argue that you work with chimps and peanut-brained poodles - but Ewen really does. When Canadian artist Rachel Peters was led to the story, she was compelled to bring it to life through puppetry and film.
Based on the short story Nagasaki Circus
By Martin Ewen
http://www.antigravitytheatre.com/travel/nagasaki.html
FILM CREDITS
WRITER / DIRECTOR
Rachel Peters
ORIGINAL STORY
Martin Ewen
LEAD PUPPETEER
Lee Zimmerman
SECOND PUPPETEER
Rachel Peters
PRODUCER
Judith Keenan
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Rachel Peters
ANIMATION and COMPOSITING
Rachel Peters
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Rachel Peters
MUSIC PRODUCER
SOUND DESIGN & MIX
Mike Filippov
POST-PRODUCTION MANAGER
Joseph Thavundayil
UNIT PHOTOGRAPHY
Irene Duma
Rachel Peters
KEY GRIP
James Unsworth
VOICE RECORDING ENGINEER
Seti Orion
VOICE RECORDING FACILITY
Island Vortex Recording Studio, Hawaii
MUSIC RECORDING ENGINEER
Dennis Patterson
MUSIC RECORDING FACILITY
GLENN Gould Studio / CBC Sound, Toronto
EQUIPMENT RENTALS
Taylor Made Productions
BROADCAST TECHNICIAN
Charles Street Video
MUSIC
Nagasaki Circus Soundtrack
Composed and Performed by
REBECCA BOOKER
© Rebecca Booker
SHOT ON LOCATION
Hamilton, Canada
SPECIAL THANKS
Carole Peters, Judy Gladstone, Michael Fukushima, Ian Tucker, Cuppa Coffee, Kaj Pindal
PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH
CTV’s Bravo!FACT
Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent
www.bravofact.com
National Film Board of Canada
Assistance from NFB
Animation Filmmaker Assistance Program
BookShorts Literacy Program
© 2008 Rachel Peters
www.rachelpeters.com
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