Annecy Player ‘Diplodocus’ Introduces Classic Polish Comics to the Wider World With Debut Trailer: ‘It’s Like a Lost Spielberg Movie’ (EXCLUSIVE)
In 1980s Poland, Tadeusz Baranowski’s comic books stood out by a mile, full of color, absurd humor, and odd characters. Now, director Wojtek Wawszczyk is referencing them in his hybrid CG/live-action animated feature Diplodocus, which screens in this year’s Annecy Presents sidebar at the iconic French festival.
“That’s how I started to draw – I was copying these comics! I discovered them as a 6-year-old. Without them, I wouldn’t be doing this,” he told Variety ahead of the film’s debut.
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He first met Baranowski – who has a cameo in the film – as a student. Soon, a friendship was forged.
“I actually approached him back then, 20 years ago, and said I would like to bring his comics to the screen one day. Last December, I showed him and his wife Ania the almost-finished film. They told me the spirit of Baranowski is present in every frame. It was very touching,” he admited.
“I feel like I’ve been making this film all my life.”
However, Wawszczyk, who also wrote the script, was interested in something other than a faithful adaptation.
“I see his comics as something complete. My idea was to befriend the author and then ask him if he would let me tell this story in my own way,” he laughed.
The battle between the past and the present is mirrored in the film’s plot as well. An artist, forced to “make room for something new” by his money-oriented employer, starts to erase his old drawings, unaware he is destroying little Diplodocus’ world.
“I believe that if something was valuable to me once, it can be valuable to the next generation as well. I’m establishing a dialogue with these comics, with animated films I grew up on, but also with my childhood. With the young me, still developing as an artist,” said Wawszczyk.
“People make films because they want to learn something about themselves or because there is a problem to solve. I would like to convince adults to find their inner child, and I would like to tell the kids they shouldn’t be afraid of thinking outside of the box.”
“Diplodocus,” produced by Maks Sikora for Human Film, Marketa Sprenclova and Jiri Mika – with Gebeka International handling distribution – is aimed at children between six and nine years old. As well as their parents.
“I come from arthouse cinema, but I felt like tackling something that could reach a wider audience. I wanted to reconcile these two things. Luckily, Maks is the kind of producer that lets the creators create, and this is the perfect recipe for a good film,” explains the director.
“We weren’t backed by some giant studio. We started during the first lockdown, and after six months, we had 20 seconds of film. We assumed we would finish it in 250 years. I call it a family project that slowly expanded.”
While developing the story, Wawszczyk collaborated with Kris Pearn, Phil Parker, Richelle Wilder and Mark Palmer.
“It’s not an auteur film, one where you go down to the basement alone and come out with a film. Our story retained this wacky, Monty Pythonesque quality that’s present in the comics, but thanks to these people, it’s not just pure chaos.”
Transforming Baranowski’s instantly recognizable style into CG was another challenge.
“With Tomek Leśniak, who co-created ‘George the Hedgehog,’ [‘Jeż Jerzy,’ a cult Polish comic later adapted by Wawszczyk, Leśniak and Jakub Tarkowski] we carefully analyzed the comics and came up with a clear set of rules.”
They also decided to celebrate the 1980s, referencing when the strips were first published.
“We chose lenses used in the films from that era; we watched all the classics. I would tell [collaborators] Jacek Podgórski and Piotr Sobociński Jr.: ‘It’s like a lost, imperfect Steven Spielberg movie. And as for the music, it’s ‘Vangelis meets John Williams.'”
Wawszczyk already has ideas for a sequel.
“At some point, these characters start talking to you. They begin to live their own lives. There are a few seeds planted here that could develop into a second part. I already have it in my head,” he admits.
In the meantime, he hopes “Diplodocus” will encourage local creators to think bigger and venture outside of what they know, like his big-eared protagonist.
“No one has ever done 3D animation on this scale in Poland. I’ve been in this business for 30 years, and it always puzzled me: How come we don’t have our own Pixar movie?! The problem was, and I’ve experienced it too, that no one wanted to risk money trying to prove it was even possible. Now, I want to believe that our madness and determination will finally kick these doors open.”
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