A Scots man’s heartwarming tale about a bear adopted by a Polish soldier in World War II has been shortlisted to be considered for an Oscar.
A decade in the making, Iain Gardner‘s animated reconstruction of the true story of Wojtek – A Bear Named Wojtek – has been named among 15 films to qualify for consideration as Best Animated Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards.
Produced by lluminated Films, Filmograf and Animation Garden, the 28-minute film, sketched out in 2D hand-drawn animation, tells the true story of an orphaned Syrian bear, adopted by Polish soldiers during the Second World War, that played a legendary role at the battle of Monte Cassino before they end up as Polish refugees in Scotland after the war.
Director Iain Gardner, of Cambuslang who now lives in Edinburgh, was inspired by the fact that Wojtek the bear spent the last years of its life at Edinburgh Zoo and researched the details of Wojtek’s incredible journey.
This short, which took its inspiration from timeless classics such as The Snowman, Crac! and The Man Who Planted Trees, boasts big names including voice work by Baby Reindeer star Richard Gadd and composer Normand Roger.
A Bear Named Wojtek has already won a number of accolades including Best Long Form Animation at the British Animation Awards and Best Animation at the Venice TV Awards.
Director Iain Gardner, 54, said: “It’s testimony to our amazing crew – over a hundred of them, from script to final grade, that we’ve accomplished this stage of the Academy Award process. Everybody involved with the film elevated my vision, making the final film greater than the sum of its parts. Thank you to everyone who has been on this journey with me.”
Award-winning animator Iain Gardner was born in Cambuslang and studied at both The Glasgow School of Art and The Royal College of Art. Whilst still a student, he served an apprenticeship at the highly regarded Richard Williams Animation Studio, famed for Who Framed Rodger Rabbit.
In his early career he also worked at John Coates TVCartoons, the studio behind Yellow Submarine and The Snowman.
His film about Wojtek the Bear benefitted from a writing residence at the Abbaye De Fontevraud in France. Currently he is developing Badger Beats, starring his gay badgers Mustard & Ketchup, under the Glasgow Film Festival Animatic programme. His company, Animation Garden, is based at Edinburgh’s Summerhall.
A Bear Named Wojtek is essentially a love story for one’s homeland – an important subject in times of refugees, nationalism and xenophobia. It relates the experience of the Polish people during World War II through the true story of Wojtek and his friend Piotr Prendys, a member of the 22nd Artillery Corps of the 2nd Polish Army.
This film and subject has attracted great attention, demonstrating how much of an icon Wojtek the bear is to the people of both Poland and Scotland.
Iain explains: “Our story follows the Polish 22nd Artillery Corps during WWII who adopt an orphaned Syrian Brown Bear as their mascot – naming him ‘Wojtek’. The theme of people displaced by conflict is, sadly, forever relevant.
“Whilst based on true events, our film is not an animated documentary. I am interested in how within our cultures and traditions we create mythologies in nature to reflect our human experience. Wojtek becomes a metaphor for the refugee.
“When I was a student at The Glasgow School of Art in the 1980s, I really enjoyed sketching animals. During a visit to Edinburgh Zoo, I was drawn to the Polar Bear enclosure. I later learned that this enclosure had accommodated a famed bear who saw active service during WWII – Wojtek the Bear!
“My interest in animals has evolved into reflections on how we mythologise animals to understand or convey aspects of human nature, so I was attracted to the symbolism that Wojtek had come to represent as the embodiment of Poland.
“The film has been part of a greater strategy of personal development to enable a core team of Scottish creatives – myself and other award-winning Scottish auteurs including Will Anderson, Rachel Bevan Baker and Ross Hogg – to learn from this longer-form production in addition to instigating an international co-production which, in this case, was with Filmograf in Poland.
“It was a great opportunity for us all to develop our skills as well as scale-up the ambition of production with a view to producing a feature film, ideally made in Scotland which could further enhance and retain the talent pool here.
“Before we started production with Iain Harvey of The Illuminated Film Company, I had suspected that you need a robust and practical pipeline, and our Production Manager Rebecca Warner Perry, also Edinburgh based, was key to developing this. My other instinct before starting was to work with people more talented than oneself. Everybody involved from script to final grade elevated my vision, creating something greater than the sum of its parts.”
Co-producer, Iain Harvey, of Illuminated Films, added: “The story is truly inspirational, symbolising so many elements of life, the realities of war and the profound importance of relationships.
“With a beautiful score by Normand Roger, its impact on audiences has been very gratifying and hopefully justifies the support we have received from Screen Scotland, Polish Film Institute, and the BFI Young Audience Content Fund.”
Co-producer Wlodzimierz Matuszewski, of Filmograf, continued: “What a great honour for the unforgettable bear Wojtek, symbolizing the fate of Poland in the 20th century. Fully deserved for the creative effort of the great animation artist Iain Gardner, and exceptional creative synergy between British and Polish teams!”
The final five Oscar nominees will be announced on January 17, 2025.
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