Ajyal Film Festival 2023

All Films

Loving Vincent

Ajyal Competition

للترجمة العربية اضغط على

Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman / Feature Narrative / United Kingdom, Poland, Qatar / 2017 / 95 min / Colour / DCP
In English / Arabic subtitles
Interests: Animation, Biography
Qatar Premiere

Synopsis

In the history of modern art, few artists hold such a significant place as the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh – and fewer still are so representative of the idea of the tortured artist. Hugely prolific – he produced about 2,100 works of art in a mere 10 years – only one of his paintings sold in his lifetime, which ended with his tragic death in 1890 at the age of 37. He was troubled by depression and the trauma of being perceived as a failure; yet in the early 20th century, his work was recognised as that of a genius and he has since become known as an important contributor to contemporary artistry.

‘Loving Vincent’ explores the latter years of Van Gogh’s life via the structure of a detective story, as Armand, the son of Poulin the postman (whom the artist painted many times) attempts to deliver Vincent’s final letter – the last of many – to his beloved brother Theo. Armand’s search leads him to those who were close to Vincent, and he uncovers the mysterious circumstances surrounding the painter’s death. The film has been eagerly anticipated for some years – it is the first-ever fully painted animated film. Executed in a series of 65,000 oil paintings, each mimicking Van Gogh’s signature style, it is an ethereal, breathtaking experience.

Official Film Website

About the Directors

Dorota Kobiela is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. She has directed the short films 'The Hart in Hand' (2006), 'The Letter' (2004), 'Love Me' (2004), 'Mr.Bear' (2005), ‘Chopin's Drawings’ (2011) and ‘Little Postman’ (2011). Her first feature-length film, 'Loving Vincent', combines her passion for painting and film.

Hugh Welchman studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford before attending the National Film and Television School in London. He has produced short films including 'The Clap' and 'The Most Beautiful Man in the World', which was nominated for Best Short Film at the 2003 BAFTAs. In 2006, together with Suzie Templeton, Welchman won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for his work on 'Peter and the Wolf' (2006).

Credits

Director
Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman
Screenwriter
Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman
Producer
Hugh Welchman, Sean Bobbitt, Ivan Mactaggart
Editor
Justyna Wierszynska, Dorota Kobiela
Executive Producer
David Parfitt, Charlotte Ubben,
Composer
Clint Mansell
Co-Producer
Trademark Films
Cinematographer
Tristan Oliver, Lukasz Zal
Production Company
BreakThru Films
Sound
Michal Jankowski, Michal Fojcik
Distributor
Front Row Filmed Entertainment
Cast
Douglas Booth, Robert Gulaczyk, Eleanor Tomlinson, Saoirse Ronan, Jerome Flynn, Chris O'Dowd, John Sessions, Aidan Turner

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