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The Old Man and the Sea,
is a story of friendship between a young boy and an aging fisherman tormented by hunger
and weeks of ill luck. Santiago, a once strong, proud man is coming to terms with his
failing abilities and age.
After many weeks of returning home to his small village, day after day with nothing in
his boat, Santiago is forced to accept the other villager's small charities. He resolves
to sail far out to sea in search of a catch that will redeem his self-confidence. Early
the next morning, he descends to his fishing skiff, and rows out, into the dark sea,
saying good-bye to his friend, the small boy, and the safety of the beach, perhaps for
the last time.
Later that day his luck turns and he hooks the giant marlin. The battle begins, not just
with the fish, but with himself as well; the battle for his life, his regained youth and
the return of his peer's respect. For two days and two nights his adversary pulls him
further out to sea. Memories of his youth fill his vision, memories of battles fought
and of scars healed. For hours at a time the physical game, he convinces himself, is
only winnable if he can triumph mentally.
Unable to loosen or even adjust his grip, for fear that his foe would sense his failing
strength, Santiago is forced into a motionless prison, escape from which, is in the hands
of his greatest adversary ever.
"The Old Man and the Sea" is one of Hemingway's most enduring works and this film,
animated and directed by Alexander Petrov, recasts in the authors striking style, the
classic theme of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss.
Magnificently transposed through this award winning artist's more than 29,000 oil
paintings, this film carries all the emotional power and meaning of the original story.
Director
Alexandre Petrov
Animation Director, Alexander
Petrov, worked tirelessly for over two and a half years under his animation camera,
painting the more that 29,000 magnificent images that make up this film.
Petrov has received two prior Oscar nominations for "The Cow" in 1990 and "The
Mermaid" in 1998.
Petrov's animation style of painting oils on sheets of glass, using his fingertips
as brushes, gives all his work a dream-like quality reminiscent of a Rembrandt
painting in motion.
Running time: 20 minutes
Production: Productions Pascal Blais inc., Imagica Corp., Panorama Film Studio
Director: Alexandre Petrov; Producers: Bernard Lajoie, Tatsuo Shimamura
Awards: Cinanima Festival (Espinho, Portugal) Grand Prize, R.T.P. Prize, Best
Sound Track; WorldFest-Flagstaff (Texas, USA) Special Jury Award; Youth Animation
Festival (Moscow, Russia) Grand Prize of Children Awards; Krok Animation Festival
(Kiev, Ukraine) Grand Prize; Genie Awards (Toronto, Canada) Finalist
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