Frédéric Back

I really don't know much about Frédéric Back, but from what I've read, he's a very respectable animator. What really caught my eye was how Frédéric is really in tune with the environment, in a way. I have a sort of passion for the Environment and I really liked it when Frédéric said that he worked with organizations who try to maintain and sustain the environment. He would provide them with animations and with drawings and I really appreciated that. Someone using their gift that they were given and do more with it. More specifically, help take care of our home, because I feel that not enough people care for the environment and it needs more attention.

Frédéric Back used to work for the animation department of Radio Canada. It's where he developed some of his most famous works such as Crac!, The Man Who Planted Trees, and The Mighty River. His career was going smoothly but unfortunately, the animation department of Radio Canada was closed down and they have all the rights to his works. This means that if they wanted to they could prevent anyone from watching Frédéric's works and store them in the archives for eternity. But  thankfully they are making them circulate, especially during festivals when there is a high demand for them.

Although the department has been shut down, Frédéric hasn't really stopped working. He's not going to make anymore deals or sign anymore contracts with big time corporations because it simply takes too much time away from his family. He works on smaller projects from time to time.

But like I said, respect him because he cares for the environment and he uses his ability to create beautiful works for corporations and organizations that use them to help save and protect the environment.

Imagining the Sacred: Spiritual themes in Children’s Media and Sientje

My favorite quote from the sections I read in Professor Leeper's paper was, “My animation is generally thought of as children’s films, not because it lacks the content to engage adults, but because one encounters themes of mystery and wonder, differently by taking on the stature of a child.” I think when looking through the eyes of a child, observations are made without the basis of a worldview. Children have the ability to unbiasedly see the world as it is(or at least less biasedly then most adults), making them one of the best critics.

This paper made me realize how unique writing for a children’s book or movie is. The author has to take on the perspective of a child to view the world as a mystery. I can sometimes consume children’s media with a superior view, thinking I won’t gain anything from children’s media. I was very much reminded how wrong this view is while I read the article and watched the short, “Sientje.”  felt myself take on this mentality of superiority, but by the end I realized that I needed to watch that to understand the child’s perspective. This is what I love that children’s media: it brings me back to the perspective I used to own—viewing the world as a place of mystery and wonder.