The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log

(Edinburgh, the West End of Princes Street in the 1950s; the shops and buses have changed but other than that most of this scene looks the same today. From The Illusionist by Sylvain Chomet, (c) Django Films)

Long time readers may remember quite a while back I blogged about the brilliant Sylvain Chomet working on a new feature length animated film, The Illusionist. Chomet, who brought us the fantastic Belleville Rendezvous (with its fabulous, partly Ralph Steadman influenced artwork), has been living in Scotland for several years while working on the film from a studio in Edinburgh; sadly he has now moved to France, but the good news is that the film is complete and had its premiere in Berlin this week, although it isn’t expected to go on general release until this summer. The Illusionist sounds like a double treat for film fans -- not only a new animation from a top creator but it is also based on an un-filmed story by France’s legendary Jacques Tati, one of cinema’s great icons; Tati’s daughter gave Sylvain permission but sadly she passed away before the film was completed.

(a scene from The Illusionist set on Salisbury Crag, part of the huge extinct volcano which sits right in the middle of Edinburgh; the dome of Edinburgh University’s Old College Building can be seen on the right in the distance; (c) Django Films)

The Illusionist tells of a stage magician struggling in Paris as his audiences are drawn away instead to the glamour and buzz of the new rock’n'roll performers in the early 1950s. Offered a show on the beautiful Scottish island of Iona he falls for a local girl and together they travel to 50s Edinburgh. The original Tati script was set in Prague, but lovely though that city is Sylvain wanted to move the location to Scotland’s distinctive capital: “”I fell in love with Edinburgh when I presented Belleville Rendez-Vous there. I found the city a magical place – there’s something about the constantly changing light.” As someone lucky enough to live in that historic city I wouldn’t argue that point; I can’t draw, but the geography, architecture, history and the way different light and seasons changes its appearance has inspired me to take literally hundreds of photographs of the city over the years. Obviously those of us who call Edinburgh home will get an extra special buzz from seeing it rendered in Sylvain’s beautiful animated style, but I think all of us who love animation, regardless of where they live, will be delighted at the thought of a new Chomet work coming our way in the next few months. And I also suspect it will make many more people fall in love with the city’s charms. You’ll have to forgive my excited manner, but a new Chomet work and set in my remarkable home city -- can you blame me for being excited? Among all the 3D, CG works we will doubtless see this year it is this traditional 2D work I am most looking forward to. I’ll leave you with a clip from Chomet’s wonderful Belleville Rendezvous:

(souce: The Scotsman, via French Edinburgh’s twitter)