Assiniboian animator Marie Beaudoin will be directing two discussions on animated films before and after the movie, The Breadwinner, which will be shown at the Olympia Theatre on Sunday, September 29. Movie Magic is an event organized by the Assiniboia & District Arts Council and is scheduled from 1-5 p.m.
Attendees at Movie Magic will learn the steps the artists took when producing this film. The informal discussions involving the creation of The Breadwinner will happen in the Kay Kristo Room in the Assiniboia & District Public Library. The event is purposed to show the joy of studying, discussing and creating films.
“I love watching movies, studying them and talking about them,” Beaudoin said. “Creativity is the basis of critical thinking.” Beaudoin also wants younger people to realize the value of studying for arts degrees at a time when many college and university students are being pushed to take degrees deemed by general society to be more practical, such as business, engineering or trades diplomas.
Beaudoin decided to structure this brief and casually-themed course to attract younger people to attend a Culture Days event in Assiniboia. There will be general discussions about plotting themes, resolving conflicts in storylines and uncovering and determining the meaning of the symbolism found in The Breadwinner.
“I was thinking about running something more in my field,” Beaudoin answered when asked how the concept of Movie Magic came into fruition.
Not to be confused with the Nickelodeon series, The Breadwinners, The Breadwinner is an hour and a half movie which takes place in Afghanistan during the Taliban’s rule in 2001. Parvana, the main character of the movie, is an 11-year-old girl who cuts her hair and dresses like a boy to support her family after her father is arrested by the vicious regime. Although this is an animated feature, Beaudoin warned the themes in this film are not designed for younger audiences.
Beaudoin currently works from her home in Assiniboia for Titmouse Canada – an animated studio in Vancouver. The Montreal-born animator has been involved with well known productions such as Captain Underpants. She is also a talented artist with originality, who enjoys juxtaposing adorable imagery with ghoulish themes. “I do illustrative work that mixes my cute animation with my interest in the macabre and my interest in historical fashion.”
