Filmmaker Marcy Page presents Virgin Fandango, an 11-minute short film that will premiere at the Annecy Festival. The work is a tribute to Portugal and animation, using over 12,000 hand-painted tiles. With stop-motion technique, these traditional elements set aside saints and male figures to bring to life a dancing and empowered Virgin Mary, accompanied by a musical that mentions nearly 170 historical women and animation artists.
The technical challenge of animating 12,000 ceramic pieces 🎬
Page and her team faced a considerable production challenge. Each of the 12,000 tiles was hand-painted before being photographed frame by frame. Stop-motion animation with ceramics demands precise control of lighting and movement, as any crack or change in position can ruin continuity. The process required months of work to coordinate the musical sequences with the movements of the pieces, making the tiles seem to come to life without losing their original texture.
A virgin who dances and leaves the saints on the bench 💃
It seems the Virgin Mary has grown tired of posing still on altars. In Virgin Fandango, the religious figure prefers a fandango to a rosary, and is accompanied by an army of 170 historical women. One wonders if the traditional tiles, accustomed to bearded saints, protested this role change. But no, here everyone dances to Page's tune, while the saints stay on the bench, waiting their turn for a choreography.