A cine-collage manifesto in defense of beauty amidst political cynicism and environmental alienation. Based on the 1946 essay by George Orwell and read by Tilda Swinton.
«George Orwell is best known for his dystopian visions of humanity, therefore his sentiments of nature’s beauty and ephemerality in times of crises, expressed in his 1946 essay “Some Thoughts on the Common Toad,” might surprise. Orwell saw hope in the annual reemergence of spring, represented in the toad – not as cause for sentimental feelings, but rather as a critique of oppressive systems, cynicism, and capitalism. This idea – using “hope as an axe” (in author Rebecca Solnit’s words) – felt extremely relevant to me. The film was assembled using public domain material, with Tilda Swinton lending her reading. The creative challenge was to strike a balance between illustration of Orwell’s words, versus experimental montage without distracting from the writing. What emerged is a rhythmic collage that questions whether Orwell’s final assertion, that the powerful cannot take away spring, still holds up in the era of climate change.»
– G. Anthony Svatek
Information
Country
USAYear
2023Length
11'
Category
ExperimentalOrigin of archival materials
Various on www.archive.org / used under the Creative Commons lawScreenplay
George OrwellEditing
G. Anthony SvatekVoice
Tilda SwintonSound
Kaija SiiralaProduction
Aaron Hicklin, Lucy TaylorDirector’s biography
Having grown up at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Anthony is deeply awed by the living world, and the way people’s understanding of nature is informed by our increasingly technological and urban lives. He is based in Brooklyn and Callicoon, NY.
Amongst others, his work has been shown at the New York Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Prismatic Ground, DOCNYC, and published by Harper’s Magazine and Le Cinéma Club.
On the agenda
Sat 26.10.202414:30–16:30
SOME THOUGHTS ON THE COMMON TOAD
G. Anthony Svatek
Official competition
Italian premiere
Q&A
Screening
Sala Cervi
Via Riva di Reno 72/A
Ticket fee
Fri 25.10.202420:00–22:00
SOME THOUGHTS ON THE COMMON TOAD
G. Anthony Svatek
Official competition
Italian premiere
Q&A
Screening
Cinema Lumière, Sala Scorsese
Piazzetta P. P. Pasolini 2/b
Ticket fee
