In which Chris Robinson asks animators profound and inane questions that have little to do with animation. This week's guest is the director of Animafest Cyprus, Yiorgos Tsangaris
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variation of an early Animafest Cyprus poster by Yiorgos Tsangaris
Today we offer another in the series of questions for artistic directors from various international animation festivals. Today’s guest is Yiorgos Tsangaris, a graphic artist, film curator, animation lecturer and founder of the Countryside Animafest Cyprus – Views of the World, the official animation festival of Cyprus. Yiorgos agreed to meet me in the Mediterranean Sea near Limassol at 2am in early July.
I get the greatest pleasure from....
When I am among friends with whom I share common dreams and Ideas and when I work creatively in my studio.
When dreams and ideas come to life. In recent years I met wonderful people in the international animation community. The Independent animation community gives me hope, considering our fragile democratic system where culture and human values are at stake. It’s a small community but with a strong voice!
If I could have – assuming this is your real name – a nom de plume, what would it be?
I would like an invisible name. A silent one so that I could act with no interference. Maybe an everyday simple name.
The sport I do or would like to play is...
I wish I could be a surfer… Or a dancer…But because I know probably it will never happen I try to go running and walking.
A (non-family member) person I idolize is....
I admire the spirit of Don Quixote, the protest of Vladimir Mayakovsky and Nikolai Gogol the energy of Cassius Clay, the humour of Jaques Tati, The simplicity of everyday people, Diego Rivera for his revolutionary murals, the sensitivities of Marc Chagall, Matisse and the Japanese printmakers. The poetic atmosphere of Yuri Norstein and Georges Schwizgebel’s films, Cypriot poet Vassilis Michailedes and Greek painter Fotis Kontoglou for their native spirit.
The song that makes me tingle is....
I can’t choose one but I’ll try to narrow them down to a few…. Bob Marley’s ‘Burnin and Lootin’, Leonard Cohen’s “Famous Blue Raincoat”, The Cheburashka song is a journey to my childhood, Anouar Brahim’s solos, “The Enemies Entered The City” (lyrics by Yiorgos Skourtis sang by Nikos Ksilouris), “My Funny Valentine” by Miles Davis, Tchaikovsky’s “June “ (from the series The Seasons,) Eleni Karaindrou: “Eternity and a Day”, “Theme of the Uprooting” and “Ulysses’s Gaze”, Nicos Papazoglou’s “August” and Dionisis Savopoullos “Acharnians-Parabasis”.
The funniest thing that happened to me….
My son Haralambos! He gets funnier every day!
A well-known figure in the world of independent animation, writer, author & curator Chris Robinson is the Artistic Director of the Ottawa International Animation Festival.
