Gagarin by Alexei Kharitidi, Russia: perfect in its conception. Nothing too long. Marvelous traditional animation, pastel on paper. And funny: a caterpillar who doesn't want to become a butterfly. Bursts of laughter from the audience. Certainly we'll see this again among the prize winners. Hand in Hand by Lasse Lars Persson, Sweden: 4 minutes of animated drawings--it made me think back on the three graces in A Greek Tragedy (1985) by the Belgian Nicole van Goethem, which won the Grand Prize at Annecy and an Oscar some years back. And to end the program, Puss in Boots by Garry Bardin, Russia. After his Little Red Riding Hood, he returns to Charles Perrault, this time to the clever cat. Animation with modeling clay--at 27 minutes, you never get bored. Good for a prize, I hope.

That's it. Our four programs have been shown. The film party is over. Are we, the five members of the selection committee, satisfied? I think so. Of course, asI've already said, there remains a few doubts ... But I've learned that to be or not to be selected is sometimes a little bit of a lottery--and as the president of our jury, Abi, said: there is always a degree of subjectivity in the selection process, nonetheless we made our choices as honestly and impartially as possible. What remains is the vitality of Animation--its creativity and its youth. I believe I can say that we made a good selection, and good programs. In any case, that's what I heard said often on all sides.

As every night, party! This time an ASIFA party on a terrace overlooking the city. Beer, sake, sushi, laughter, emotions, songs. Bruno Edera, the Swiss journalist from Geneva, who made us all laugh to the point of tears with his accent, his stories and his great erudition.

Monday August 26
9:15--it's early for the morning-after-the-ASIFA party. Kathy Rose dances in front of her animations: a total spectacle if ever there was one, which combines influences from many cultures--Egyptian, Indian, Russian, the 1920s ...

Today's the day when everyone makes the rounds to get presents to take home. It's amusing and instructive to see what everyone buys: from a watch you can wear on a finger to a knife specially made to cut bamboo--not to mention the hats, bottles of sake. (Of course, they make sake here in special bottles that when you lift the lid, after five minutes you get hot sake--I'm taking home some of this myself!)

Finally the closing ceremony, the announcement of the prizes--some surprises, some satisfactions. In any case, the ceremony is run to perfection. Sayoko keeps an eye on her whole world: she has incredible energy and vitality, force and gentleness. When she makes her brief closing statement--not forgetting to thank everyone, she is witty, like a little fairy with long curly hair, but behind a microphone, in the middle of a huge stage.

Small Treasures by Sarah Watt. Courtesy of Hiroshima 96.

We come to the prizes: almost all the films I thought should won something. The Grand Prize for Michaela Pavlatová and Repete. I'm happy for her. I had thought Grey-Bearded Lion or Small Treasures--but it's the same with juries as with selection committees. But as we talked about it to each other, we realized that all the films had one thing in common: they were not necessarily easy films, but practically all were films that told a story.

And afterwards ... what? Why a party, of course! This one, the last one, where one once again exchanges addresses, where one embraces once again, where one once again drinks a toast to health, to the country, to a friend, and even (since one is in the convivial domain of animation) to an enemy. Bruno Edera tells more of his stories, and Jacques Drouin, too. And Nicole and I are once again weeping with laughter. It's impossible--we'll never be able to leave ... At 2:00 AM, the Japanese, the Austrians, the Australians, the Rumanians, the French, the Dutch (that's me), the Portuguese, the Canadians, the Americans, the Swiss, the Belgians--we sing, discuss a little (more and more vaguely) the future of Animation ... the next festival ... Animation is a lovely country of which I am proud to be a citizen. ... a little tired, but happy.


--Hiroshima, Tuesday, August 27, 3:00 PM.

Monique Renault is an independent filmmaker based in Amsterdam. Three of her films--Cheers, La donna e mobile and Pas à deux--were shown at Hiroshima out-of-competition.