[Program title] LE TEMPS DEVANT SOI IV – Voyage dans l’imaginaire
[Film title] Les contes de l’horloge magique
[Date] 2012.8.4 – 8.26
[Screen time] 61min.
[Place] Maison Hermès 10F 5-4-1, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061
1924 – 1928 / Italy, France / 61 min / Color / 35mm
The music and narration added to the film in 1983
Director: Ladislas Starewitch
Coloration and direction of the intermediary animation scenes: Jean Rubak
Original music: Jean-Marie Sénia
Staring: Nina Star
Translation: Yoko Matsuoka
Special thanks to: Mrs. Martin-Starewitch
In her grandfather’s clock workshop, Nina dreams of herself as a princess. When the clock strikes midnight, she wanders into the kingdom of the magic clock her grandfather made. The figures in the clock begin to move and Nina, now a princess, is taken away to a forest of enchanted creatures.
The director, Russian-born Ladislas Starewitch, was a pioneer of stop motion animation. He used handmade puppets to create innovative works rich in detail and poetic imagination. His protagonists include insects, animals, stuffed toys, imaginary creatures and anthropomorphic puppets.
Born in Moscow, Ladislas Starewitch achieved international fame during the 1920s and 1930s. Toward the end of the 1920s he emigrated to France, where he passed away in 1965. Since his death, he has not received much attention, but his works have continued to influence well-known filmmakers such as Tim Burton, Peter Lord, and Terry Gilliam.