Alexei Naumov’s painting in Roze Stiebra’s film – top «Law of the Heart» / Article / LSM.lv

Latvian animation classic Roze Stiebra has been working on a new feature-length animated film “Law of the Heart” for almost a year now, the script of which has been created by Matīss Gricmanis according to Jānis Ezeriņš’s short story. In her creative work, the director has previously chosen valuable Latvian literary material – works by Rainis, Ojārs Vācietis and Kārlis Skalbe, but Roze Stiebra’s other passion is the painting quality of animation, which is determined by the choice of the film’s artist. “Law of the Heart” is created together with the painter Alexei Naumov.

Roze Stiebra thought about the possibility of screening in animation the work “New Law” by Jānis Ezeriņš, the pioneer of Latvian modern short stories, several decades ago, but the idea is destined to come true only now.

“The main content of the film is that there is a place, a country, without a heart for the people. They have everything else but no heart. And it happens that a princess who is going to get married gets a heart, and because of that everything changes, ”says director Roze Stiebra.

“It is very relevant even today, when we seem to have everything, but we have forgotten about the heart. The question is, what is its heart at all? ”

The director continues: “If the film is called ‘Law of the Heart’, then in my opinion it is the highest law that man, humanity could imagine, so the highest that is is the law of the heart.”

For Rose Stiebra, this will be her first collaboration with the painter Alexei Naumov, inviting her to become an animated film artist.

She notes: “I wanted him to be an artist because of his giant energy and also his uncontrollable fantasy, even though he pretends to draw everything from nature, and also its color – it seems to me to be a little new than we are. so far we have worked. However, such a talented person has hit me in the film for the first time, and it is not easy to balance it all. ”

Bright colors, urban landscapes, unusual images of people and fantasy animals have already gained the first animation movement.

Sharing his impressions of the challenge of working on an animated film, the artist says: “It was not known if the film would be, and when it all worked out successfully, Rose said,” Do you now understand what you are subscribing to? ” Not yet. But the fact that it will move … really animation is something new for me.

Book illustration and painting are something else, here they move. ”

All the voices of the film are entrusted to the students of the course of the New Riga Theater Alvis Hermanis. Artists still have to draw tens of thousands of drawings. Currently, five animators do it on the spot in the studio “Lokomotīve” or remotely. It is important to maintain a painting style and a sense of handwork.

The most difficult thing about the animator’s work is that the animator has to give up his self and become Alexei Naumov. This is not possible until the end, ”explains animator Dzintars Krūmiņš.

Years ahead of scrupulous and patient work, but Rose Stiebra says it doesn’t bother her. The outline of the new film is already visible.

“It simply came to our notice then. I will not say that it will be an easy trip, but in the end, I hope that we will all successfully finish in two years, ”the director notes.

“Law of the Heart” will be Roze Stiebra’s 40th animated film, while the painter Alexei Naumov will make his debut in animation.

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