Telling George
From the Archives
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Animation, Short Films, 23-Jan-2024
A young man writes to his maybe-lover from his uncle's castle complex. Fergus Campbell directs, animates, and narrates “Telling George" (2020) and “Telling George Again” (2024), two animated films composed as adult storybooks about a young man’s romantic experiences with art, literature, and recreation. Moving between illustrated landscapes of a fantastical property complete with a ski jump, Anton paints a vivid snapshot of life at the castle — hanging by the pool with his second cousin, singing at a karaoke diner, or watching “Godard, Truffaut, but also sometimes Desperate Housewives…” In his second letter to George, now in the winter season, Anton shares the news of the recent snowfall. Still missing George dearly, Anton’s conversations with Bjork’s daughter and view at a rocket ship firework launch struggle to hold their own against a remembered night with George. Andersonian in its fabled descriptions and anecdotes, Campbell’s film breathes an endearing, youthful spirit into a whimsical world. Beneath the commentary is also a lovely guitar-plucking score. -JM. Director/Writer/Animator/Editor/Narrator: Fergus Campbell. Composer: Joey Recker.
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