Papa (2014)

Director’s note on the film „PAPA“

The film was completed almost as planned and gave us a lot of necessary experiences and thoughts for the future.
The development of the film took several years and at some point we had a feeling that we would never actually get to make it, that it remains only on paper and would be unreachable.
Therefore we decided to rewrite the script several times until the final script was more understandable and precise.
When we finally got the „go“, we started the storyboard and animatic making process. This was supposed to create a precise vision about the flow of the film. Actually this goal was not met since we are different type of filmmakers, we do believe that it is right for life to make its own corrections and let different feeling in even though everything has already been set.
We wanted to show how people cover up and assign themselves securely behind some kind of images. In our film the man-puppet turns into the fixed picture. Our Papa seems as a weak and spineless man who has dedicated his entire life to something important. This something important ( in easy version – drinking) does not allow him to spend any time on the responsibilities he has created by himself. His daughter is looking for her father and waiting for him throughout the entire film. From time to time we notice the reason and power inside Papa, but he can’t manage with it and in order to cover it up he pretends to be a puppet.
Working with real actors during a short and intensive period was a new and tutorial trial for us. The shooting period was divided into three parts – live-shoot, pixilisation and shooting with classical puppets. We understood the importance of project manager and exact planning. Madli Võsoberg was helping a lot.
Live shooting took place in one apartment and there we experienced the same beauty and difficulties as on the soundstage. Here we also had a very precise shooting plan and very intensive communication with actors.
Shooting on the soundstage was more relaxing - we got to do what we wanted, thanks to the great and sensitive animators.
Postproduction was successful and though there were some setbacks, none of them were fatal and we can say that the final result responds pretty much to our expectations.
The main message of the film is intelligible – please don’t leave me!
Girlin-Bassovskaja
Nukufilm.