Pearly Oyster’s favourite films
The Queen’s Monastery. Conceived, animated and directed by EMMA CALDER. Music by Leoš Janáček. Produced by Pearly Oyster Productions 1998 © Pearly Oyster Productions/ BBC Bristol.
Inspired by Leoš Janáček’s Sinfonietta, The Queen’s Monastery is about a woman whose lover, a former acrobat, has returned to her from war a changed man. Using a highly individual watercolour technique the narrative explores themes of love, escapist fantasy, obsession and guilt.
Shown as a support for Love Is The Devil and other features throughout the UK. Distributed on film by Spike & Mike’s Touring Animation in over 50 cinemas in North America.
Best Professional Film; Bradford International Animation Festival, Special Jury Prize; Zagreb, Second Prize; Dresden, Silver Hugo; Chicago, Honourable Mention; Cinanima Portugal.
The Queen’s Monastery is featured in In Short: A Guide to Short Film Making in the Digital Age by Andrew Kelly and Eileen Elsey, published by the BFI.
More information and images are on my Queen’s Monastery blog entries.
Boudica A Norfolk Story. Conceived, animated and directed by EMMA CALDER.
Musical Extracts from Diluvial by Bruce Gilbert and BAW, Published by Touch Music [MCPS]. Produced by Pearly Oyster Productions 2013 © Pearly Oyster Productions. Commissioned by Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service and supported by the Arts Council of England.
Despite a gap of nearly two thousand years, Boudica remains at the forefront of the public imagination. Her story has been passed down the generations from the original writings of the Romans and she has been continually reinvented to serve as a woman of our age. Read more.
Roger Ballen’s Theatre of Apparitions
Roger Ballen commissioned Emma Calder and Ged Haney from Pearly Oyster Productions to animate and direct Roger Ballen’s Theatre of Apparitions. The film is based on a large series of photographic drawings made in collaboration with Marguerite Rossouw, which feature in his forthcoming book The Theatre of Apparitions, Thames & Hudson. Publication date and online launch of the web version of the film 29th September 2016.
Thanks to Andi Mindel who’s idea it was to get Roger Ballen and Pearly Oyster together, without her the film wouldn’t have been made!
For a full list of Festival screenings and items in the press click here.