FEAR(S) OF THE DARK

France/Belgium, 2007, 83 minutes, Black and white/Colour.
Voices of: Aure Atika, Arthur H., Guillaume Depardieu.
Directors: Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre de Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, Richard Mc Guire.

1.The impact of this episodic film? For fans of animation? For avant-garde animation? For short stories? An ensemble film?

2.The Charter: a short film, animation, black and white (and allowing splashes of red for blood)?

3.The impact of the different styles?

4.The motif of fear, the motif of the dark?

5.The woman, the interviewer, the interviewer and her responses, her fears, their being intercut throughout the whole film? The question whether the man and woman were alive or dead? The abstract style?

6.Blutch and his woodcut style, the 18th century aristocratic man, his wigs, the walk, the dogs, his setting the dogs on people, their prey, the viciousness of the dogs, the blood? The irony of his being devoured? Fear of dogs?

7.Eric, the young student, in his room, his love for science, etymology, the details of his study, school, his friendship with the girl, her giving him confidence, in his room, feeding him, his becoming fat, the eggs, turning into a praying mantis?

8.Sumako, Japanese, in therapy, at school, the bullies? Near the cemetery, the cruelty of the classmates? The fearful monsters – in the Japanese tradition?

9.The man visiting the isolated house, the terrain, his memories, childhood? His friend, the crocodile and being devoured?

10.The dark and the isolated house, the man, the interiors, finding the light, the scrapbook, the images, the woman coming alive, the pursuit with the axe?

11.The overall effect of the films themselves and their variety of style? Evocation of fears, evocation of the dark?