LOGLINE

The life story of of the puppeteer driven by the love story of puppets

SYNOPSIS

The Bug Trainer is an international co-production documentary film about Ladislas Starewitch (1882 - 1965), a pioneer of puppet animation and a contemporary of cinematography, one of the most mystique and controversial creators of 20th century. He was named as a true Wizard and an Alchemist of animation, whose wizardry was born in Lithuania in the beginning of 20th c. He got his fame in Russia and flourished in his full power in France. Unique methods of animation, never disclosed to the others, - who was he?

Lithuania, Poland, Russia, France - all claim him as "Ours". It seems that he was a cosmopolitan, whose creative works overpass geographical boarders and are ahead of the time.

This film is an effort to "decode" Starewitch by using the means of his own artistic thinking, utilizing all the contemporary means of pictorial expression and tiding together the biographical facts, archives and factual information told by experts: cinema historians, critics, animators told through the animated love story of puppets.

The idea of making a documentary film about the forgotten geniuos Ladislas Starewitch have obsessed me for long time ...... for 9 years . The question of why Ladislas Starewitch is so little known in the world lead me into the biggest adventure of my life - making the documentary "The Bug Trainer".

Why I was so fascinated by this person?
Because:
- he is from my small country - Lithuania,
- he on his own have invented the puppet animation,
- he is the man who is forgotten, who has to be brought back to the film world and the audience.

It was clear from the very beginning that it would be disrespect to make a conventional, documentary on such an unconventional master. The only way to make this film was to make it in a the Starewitch style - artisitc and innovative - as our respect to Ladislas Starewitch.

"The Bug Trainer" turned to be a unique film with 4 directors working on the film, involving puppet animation and fiction elements, rich with achives footage and visual effects enriched with original sound music and sound design. All this came together into one synthesis - film "The Bug Trainer" a tribute to the master Lasdislas Starewitch.

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