Window Horses
| Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ann Marie Fleming |
| Written by | Ann Marie Fleming |
| Based on |
Window Horses: The Poetic Epiphany of Rosie Ming by Ann Marie Fleming |
| Starring |
Sandra Oh Nancy Kwan Shohreh Aghdashloo |
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English, Persian, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese |
Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming is a 2016 Canadian animated feature film written and directed by Ann Marie Fleming[1] (sometimes stylized with the title in parentheses[2] or written as Window Horses without a subtitle[3]), based on Fleming's graphic novel Window Horses: The Poetic Epiphany of Rosie Ming.[4]
Funding for the film was raised through an Indiegogo campaign, which amassed more than $80,000 in 50 days, from 730 contributors in 28 countries. The film was co-produced by Fleming's Stickgirl Productions, Sandra Oh and the National Film Board of Canada.[4][5][6]
Synopsis
The story follows Rosie Ming (Sandra Oh), a young Canadian poet of mixed descent who grew up with her strict Chinese grandparents, believing that her father and mother abandoned her.[7] She's been invited to perform her poetry at a festival in Iran, where she finds that what she'd been told as a child may not necessarily be the entire truth.[7]
Creation
Multiple artists participated to the content of the film in order for the poetry, songs, and visual styles to blend a vast number of cultural styles, with multiple animation styles created with the same goal.[7] Window Horses' lead animator and designer is Kavin Langdale.
Guest Director-Animators
- Rosie’s poem – Janet Perlman
- History of Iran – Sadaf Amini
- Hafiz history – Bahram Javaheri
- Bani Adaam – Dominique Doktor, Shira Avni (consultant)
- Taylor Mali’s poem – Elissa Chee
- Dietmar’s Poem – Michael Mann
- Hafiz poem – Jody Kramer
- Cow poem – Kunal Sen
- Masnevi – Louise Johnson
- Rumi poem – Lillian Chan
Poets
- "I need to know..." by Ann Marie Fleming
- "Cow Poem" by Ann Marie Fleming
- "Horse" by Ann Marie Fleming
- "Mah" by Sean Yangzhan
- "Bani Adaam" by Abu-Muhammad Muslih al-Din bin Abdallah Shirazi (Saadi), English adaptation by Ann Marie Fleming
- “We Should Talk About This Problem” by Daniel Ladinsky
- “The Moon Exactly How it is Tonight” by Taylor Mali
- “Masnevi” by Mowlana Jalal-e-Din Mohammad Molavi Rumi (Rumi)
- "do you know what this lute music tells you?" by Mowlana Jalal-e-Din Mohammad Molavi Rumi (Rumi)
- "Now that I am with you" by Mowlana Jalal-e-Din Mohammad Molavi Rumi (Rumi)
Cast
- Sandra Oh as Rosie
- Nancy Kwan as Gloria
- Shohreh Aghdashloo as Mehrnaz
- Camyar Chaichian as Cyrus
- Navid Negahban as Mehran
- Omid Abtahi as Ramin
- Ellen Page as Kelly
- Don McKellar as Dietmar
- Kristen Thomson as Caroline
- Jun (James) Zhu as Di Di
- Panta Mosleh as Shahrzad
- Eddy Ko as Stephen
Release
The film had its world premiere in competition at the 2016 Annecy International Animated Film Festival,[8] followed by its North American premiere at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.[9]
Awards
In October 2016, Window Horses received the Best BC Film Award and Best Canadian Film Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival's BC Spotlight Gala, as well as the Jury Prize at the Bucheon International Animation Festival.[10][11] In November, it received the Centennial Best Canadian Film or Video Award at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival.[12] On December 7, 2016, the film was named to the Toronto International Film Festival's annual Canada's Top 10 list.[13] Window Horses was presented with Audience Award at the 2016 Animasyros-International Animation Festival, and was named Best Picture by the Canadian Association of Online Film Critics. Most recently Window Horses was presented with the Human Rights Award at the 2017 RiverRun International Film Festival.[14]
References
- ↑ Alissa Simon (16 October 2016). "Film Review: ‘Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming’". Variety. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
- ↑ "Window Horses (The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming) [programme note]". Toronto International Film Festival. 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
- ↑ "Window Horses — Discover the NFB’s First Feature-Length Animation to Screen at Annecy in Almost 20 Years". National Film Board. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
- 1 2 "Sandra Oh: Diverse casting should be the new normal". Q (CBC Radio). 17 October 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
- ↑ Vlessing, Etan (October 28, 2014). "Sandra Oh Launches Indiegogo Campaign to Finance Animated Feature (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ↑ "Window Horses: Discover the NFB’s First Feature-Length Animation to Screen at Annecy in Almost 20 Years". NFB/blog. National Film Board of Canada. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Window Horses The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming" (PDF). Mongrel Media.
- ↑ Mayorga, Emilio (26 April 2016). "'Horses,’ ‘Nuts!’ ‘Stations’ Make Annecy Competition Cut". Variety. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ↑ "Deepa Mehta, Alanis Obomsawin bring latest to TIFF". CBC News, August 3, 2016.
- ↑ Pinto, Jordan (2016-10-11). "VIFF names BC Spotlight winners". Playback. Brunico Communications. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
- ↑ "Winners of the Bucheon International Animation Festival 2016". Asian Film Festivals. 2016-10-30. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
- ↑ "Reel Asian 2016 Award Winners". Reel Asian International Film Festival. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
- ↑ "'Telling stories that show Canadians who we are:' TIFF unveils top 10 Canadian films of 2016". CBC News. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
- ↑ "Window Horses EPK". Retrieved 2017-04-22.