Lillqvist is one of the internationally most well-known animation directors from Finland. Her background is in documentaries. Thus the newly released compilation includes 3 documentaries, while the rest are animations. Many of her animations could also be considered animated documentaries according to the more recently trend, with both political and personal histories as her viewpoint.
The majority of the animations have been made for her production company Camera Cagliostro, founded in 1991, during so called “Bohemian years” btw 1988–2018. In the 1980s when Lillqvist moved to Praque and started studying the old masters’ puppet techniques, animation industry did not exist in Europe as we know it today. One of Lillqvist’s ambitions as a forerunner for European animation has been in maintaing the handicraft skills both high and honest to the traditions.
Furthermore she has never feared of hanging onto the most provocative and extreme subjects, from former president’s and Finnish marshall’s homosexuality, that almost lead to the censoring of the film by the parliamentary party in 2008, to the bold manners of Russian president Vladimir Putin as ‘The Last Matador’ in a new project in development. Her films are generally targeted at adults, rather than children.
Lillqvist has often told stories that belong to ethnic minorities like the Roma people (original European gypsies). Alongside many films she has done radio documentaries and museum installations. Addition to festival touring she has been active in looking for alternative ways to screen her films from factories to churches and cargo ships.
Opening of the puppet museum last fall in Helsinki’s Lapinlahti area marks Lillqvist’s homecoming, likewise her latest short Radio Dolores, that takes place in her birthplace, Tampere’s industrial past. The film was awarded in Annecy last year for the best music for an animated short film.
Many times awarded The Chamber Stork from 1993 was also screened in Tampere Film Festival this year celebrating AVEK, Finnish Promotion centre for Audiovisual Culture. During the past 30 years AVEK has contributed significantly both to Finnish documentaries, animations and media art paving the way and rise to the international acclaim for many filmmakers and artists since the early 1980s.
Tampere Film Festival, on the contrary, is the oldest film festival in Finland. Its international programme includes yearly a broad selection of animations both in quantity and quality. Among 2018 winners there are many notable animations. Find all winners here.
The financing for Camera Cagliostro’s 30-year-old history has come mainly from Finland, Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK and Finnish National Broadcasting Company Yle as the main financiers. The compilation DVDs have also been supported by The Finnish Film Foundation.
More info:
http://www.katariinalillqvist.com/
http://www.cameracagliostro.com/animation-and-history/
https://tamperefilmfestival.fi/in-english/
http://www.kopiosto.fi/avek/en_GB/