A Bumper Crop: The new Animation Directors from The National Film School of Denmark

This new animation director graduates from The National Film School of Denmark come as a big and positive surprise. Naturally, it's always exciting when a new class of directors emerge because their body of work always holds signs for where the world is going. As a peer, my eyes are peeled for common traits and for technological experiments.

We live in a time where the evolution of animation production is making enormous headway. Naturally, omnipresent AI springs to mind, but also the use of computer game programs for shoots that make it possible to track individual characters as they move around. And while the use of technological advancements of course is important, it's the content that matters when all is said and done. What is it all about? And what's on the directors' minds? As it turns out, these directors have a lot they want to share with the world.

These are films about discovering the world. When they open, we're caught in the middle. It's confusing, puzzling, like arriving in a pristine and unknown place. Slowly, contours show themselves and we begin to realize what's at stake. And then the graphic style becomes the compass, the key, because that's how it is with animation: the style is integral to the story.

These graduate films reflect a common desire to challenge traditional dramaturgy, and although there are traditional developments in the stories, the general structure is different with its revelations instead of following more traditional arcs of resistance and confrontations. The films invite you to discover, to piece the elements together, find out what it's all about and finally enjoy the redemption.

This is a common thread in these films. They are stories about searching and discovering yourself and discovering the world. And that's good because they are films that are attuned to where the young directors are in their lives. These are not films that give us certain answers, but films that ask questions and challenge us. I can't wait to see what the future holds for these animation directors.

wam#170

Read about the films and graduates here:

The National Film School of Denmark Animation Graduates: Kauli Green and En Jeg Ser

Casual is a sensual short about negotiations of intimacy and monogamy in casual relationships. Our two protagonists share the sweet thrill of peeking into a stranger’s intimate life, but are confronted with the question; Which is more vulnerable to talk about, sexual desires or romantic dreams?

WeAnimate MagazineWeAnimate

The National Film School of Denmark Animation Graduates: Nor Bülow Jørgensen and Acts of Slime and Stone

A stop-motion film in a strange sticky cave-like place. A searching character, who seems to be disintegrating, creates another slimy creature. We are taken on a journey that allows for many interpretations and although it may sound strange, it is both interesting and exciting to be absorbed.

WeAnimate MagazineWeAnimate

The National Film School of Denmark Animation Graduates: Rasmus Sølvsten and Nothing Will Die

We are sitting in a bird’s nest, the style is 2D animation in what appears very hand-drawn. You get a sense that the world is dangerous and ominous. Chicks fill the nest, and a big bird swoops down. You take in the world and begin to wonder what it’s all about.

WeAnimate MagazineWeAnimate

The National Film School of Denmark Animation Graduates: Emma Bruun Ruus and Glæden ved at være

Flickering blue lines and a camera that jumps around in a strange way. Slowly you realize that we are seeing the world through the eyes of a small child. And the film then becomes this life-affirming experience of diving into the child’s ways of seeing.

WeAnimate MagazineWeAnimate

The National Film School of Denmark Animation Graduates: Lin Jo Skytte and Korean Bloom

A Danish-Korean woman runs a spa on the Danish westcoast. We experience everyday life there, but at the same time a reality merges with memories and dreams. A graphically simple universe that supports the emotional story

WeAnimate MagazineWeAnimate

The National Film School of Denmark Animation Graduates: David G. Raaberg Wedel and The Sound of Letting Go

An animated musical about breaking up a failed love affair and moving on in a new one. A mix of animatic and drawn animation that gives a clear picture of what awaits us with the finished movie.

WeAnimate MagazineWeAnimate