thenewfilmmaker: What is the idea, story and visual concept behind your short film “HELLO BIG BANG” ?
Laura Sicouri : The idea from the beginning was to re-create the birth of the universe through a complete surrealistic way. Visually, I wanted to use references from all those painters who had represented the creation of the universe through symbols, colours, rhythms. However, the further I went the less I respected my initial ideas. (I think this is a part of the process)
thenewfilmmaker: How was the creative process working on your film? How did you develop the ideas for the film and what inspired you?
Laura Sicouri : Initially, this idea comes from a poster I have made last year. The poster represents a pregnant women who gives birth through the navel. My goal was to make this poster alive, it inspired me a lot ! Then, all my ideas came little by little, sometimes I had a really concrete image in my mind, sometimes I didn’t and I had to think deeper about it.
thenewfilmmaker: You received a BA in graphic design at the ESAG Penninghen (Paris). Can you give us an introduction to this school and could you please tell us about your time there?
Laura Sicouri :ESAG Penninghen is a French school of graphic design where I spent three years of my studies. I learnt a lot about drawing and about “how to work”, three intensive years. However I didn’t have enough time and opportunity to develop my personal ideas and my creativity.That’s why, after my BA I decided to go to Piet Zwart Institute.
Sea, Sex and Sun-Serge Gainsbourg: A short tribute to Serge Gainsbourg (in collaboration with Kadavre Exquis)
thenewfilmmaker: Hello Big Bang is a film, which you did at film school / university. You arecurrently working on your master in Lens-Based Media at the Piet Zwart Institute Willem de Kooning / Academy Rotterdam University. Please also introduce this school to us and the experience you already made there.
Laura Sicouri : Piet Zwart Institute is the master part of Willem de Kooning Academy. The master program Lens-Based Media is a stimulating contextto develop my personal ideas as a filmmaker, graphic designer but also as a fine artist. Moreover, school capacities allows me to develop my knowledge in many different areas, something that I could never get in my previous school.
thenewfilmmaker: There are different ways of filmmaking and films. Feature films, documentary films, animations ect. Why did you choose to do animations?
Laura Sicouri : I choose animation because I feel that through drawing, I can develop as many ideas as I want without any restriction. Not that the rest is restrictive but the drawing is perfectly suited to my desires, especially for this film where surrealism and absurd are the major part. By the way, I had images in my brain that I could only represent through drawing!
thenewfilmmaker: In film genres there are developments and trends. What kind of developments and trends do you see for the animation film world and what kind ofnew “filmmaking spirit” do you bring to this genre?
Laura Sicouri : Nowadays, the animation film world is increasingly focused on 3D. This is something which had evolved very quickly with spectacular results. The purpose is to get closer to the real aspect, this is what the audience wants. However, this doesn’t stop me to feel that the pure animation with analogue drawing is the most charming aspect. Concerning my work, I am aware that this is not a film you would make with 3D effects and what I really like is this 2D aspect.
thenewfilmmaker: Who influenced your way of filmmaking? Do you have favourite film directors, animation artists or fine artists?
Laura Sicouri : The French movie “Le roi et l’oiseau” (1980) by Pierre Grimault is a film which marked me very deeply. It reigns an unusual atmosphere that I’ve never found elsewhere. More recently, “Les triplettes de Belleville” (2003) by Sylvain Chaumet is also one of the best movie animation I’ve seen.
thenewfilmmaker: What would be your advice for a first time filmmaker?
Laura Sicouri : Make a story board and don’t be afraid to re-start.
thenewfilmmaker: What is your dream, related to filmmaking?
Laura Sicouri : My dream would be to collaborate with other artists to have the opportunity to work on an important movie. I would like to have enough people with me to develop a concrete project without any lack of technique.
