Magic on the silver screen: Stuttgart's animation festival

In an international competition, 42 short animations are shown at the Festival of Animated Film in Stuttgart, running from May 2-7. Employing a variety of technologies, the films are from a broad spectrum. Among the entries is the French-British production, "Johnno's Dead," from Chris Shepherd. The story revolves around an ex-con who tries to come to terms with his 12 years behind bars.

Whereas "Johnno's Dead" is highly detailed and audience members hardly get a chance to take a breath, the film "Happy End," an entry from the Czech Republic, feels much simpler in its construction. That's not to say the nearly six-minute work by Jan Saska is less worth watching: it's a dark comedy, quickly sketched, very funny, and full of suprises.

The 18-minute Indonesian entry, "Roda Pantura," transports viewers into another world. Director Hizkia Subiyantoro tells the story of a truck driver during the 1998 economic crisis in Indonesia. The driver simply wants to support his family, but alcohol, gambling and prostitution stand in his way. The social drama is a compilation of indidivually sketched images.

"Our Wonderful Nature - The Common Chameleon," a German entry, is only three-and-a-half minutes long, but a joy to watch. Created entirely on a computer, the movie follows a chameleon who is addicted to eating. It's a perfect scene and could easily be an advertisement for Hollywood. Tomer Eshed directed.

The Slovenian entry "Nocna ptica" ("Nighthawk") is an absurd comedy about an animal's adventure. Director Spela Cadez accompanies a badger who is picked up by a police wagon. It's a great example of the tradition of Eastern European artistic filmmaking.

Poetic and melancholic are words that best describe the French film "The Head Vanishes" ("Une tête disparâit") by director Franck Dion. A young woman loses her head - in the most literal sense - and travels to the coast. The film was created using computer technology but has all the charm of a traditional animated film.

A German-Jordanian-Palestinian co-production, the 10-minute short animated film "Ayny - My Second Eye" will also be screened. The film uses various animation techniques. Director Ahmad Saleh tells the story of two brothers who become homeless during a war, yet pursue their dream of making music.

"Samt" ("Silence") is another film from the Middle East. It touches on themes of war and dictatorship and shows how people use art to overcome difficulty. Director Chadi Aoun shows how Lebanese dance and music give young people strength to persist through difficult periods.

Although many animated films are made using digital techniques, a great number are still done by hand. Whether they are drawn, painted or animated with puppets, films that use such traditional methods turn up surprisingly often. An excellent example is the Australian film "After All" by director Michael Cusack. It uses puppets to tell the story of a man looking back on his life.

Jochen Kuhn is one of the most well-known German animated film directors and has frequently shown his work at the festival. This year, he presents his film "Zentralmuseum" ("Central Museum"). Kuhn's work has received many awards including the German Film Critic's Prize. Since 1991, he has taught at the Baden-Württemberg Film Academy.