A visual interpretation of "Bitterbessie Dagbreek" by Ingrid Jonker. Part of the first Filmverse project.
Bitter-berry daybreak (english translation)
Bitter-berry daybreak
bitter-berry sun
a mirror has broken
between me and him
bitter-berry sun
a mirror has broken
between me and him
I try to find the highway
perhaps to run away
but everywhere the footpaths
of his words lead me astray
perhaps to run away
but everywhere the footpaths
of his words lead me astray
Pinewood remember
pinewood forget
however much I lose my way
I step on my regret
pinewood forget
however much I lose my way
I step on my regret
Parrot-coloured echo
tricks me tricks me on
until I turn beguiled
to retrieve the mocking song
tricks me tricks me on
until I turn beguiled
to retrieve the mocking song
Echo gives no answer
he answers everyone
bitter-berry daybreak
bitter-berry sun
he answers everyone
bitter-berry daybreak
bitter-berry sun
Bitterbessie dagbreek (original afrikaans)
Bitterbessie dagbreek
bitterbessie son
'n spieël het gebreek
tussen my en hom
bitterbessie son
'n spieël het gebreek
tussen my en hom
Soek ek na die grootpad
om daarlangs te draf
oral draai die paadjies
van sy woorde af
om daarlangs te draf
oral draai die paadjies
van sy woorde af
Dennebos herinnering
dennebos vergeet
het ek ook verdwaal
trap ek in my leed
dennebos vergeet
het ek ook verdwaal
trap ek in my leed
Papegaai-bont eggo
kierang kierang my
totdat ek bedroë
weer die koggel kry
kierang kierang my
totdat ek bedroë
weer die koggel kry
Eggo is geen antwoord
antwoord hy alom
bitterbessie dagbreek
bitterbessie son
antwoord hy alom
bitterbessie dagbreek
bitterbessie son
________________________________________________
BRIEF
Create an animation as a visual companion to one of the selected poems.
CLIENT
ATKV + Fopspeen Moving Pictures
ROLE
Photographer/ Editor/ Sound/ Animator (Pixilation)
OTHER CREDITS
Creative Director:
Diek Grobler
Animation + Music + Sound:
Dewald van der Merwe
FESTIVALS
Zebra Poetry Film Festival 2016
official selection
official selection
Anifest India 2017
Chitrakatha 2017
Filmverse is the brain-child of Diek Grobler of Fopspeen Moving Pictures, who together with the ATKV, initiated this project for the advancement of Afrikaans poetry and animation in South Africa.
The poem is "Bitterbessie dagbreek (Bitter-berry daybreak)" by Ingrid Jonker.
One purpose of this project was to expose people to different kinds of animation "styles", to dilute the obvious Disney/ Cartoon Network/ Pixar associations that typically arise when talking about animation. As a result there was quite a focus on experimentation but at the same time we had to keep in mind that these films would be used as an educational tool in schools as well... So we couldn't go full weirdo. Just a little.
It definitely challenged my own conceptions about animation and what it could be and deepened my love for it. It also made me appreciate poetry and (quite surprisingly) Afrikaans poetry in particular.
