The Estonian maker of animated films, Priit Pärn, was honoured with the Dragon of Dragons award for his entire creative output at the 55th Krakow Film Festival on 2 June.
Since 1998, the Dragon of Dragons award has been given by the Krakow Film Foundation Programme Council, the organiser of the Krakow Film Festival, in appreciation of the input in the development of the documentary and animated film in the world. Past winners of this award include such artists as Kazimierz Karabasz, Bohdan Kosiński, Allan King, Albert Maysles, Werner Herzog, Jonas Mekas, Helena Trestíková, Stephen and Timothy Quay, Raoul Servais, Jerzy Kucia and Paul Driessen.
Priit Pärn is an award-winning animated film-maker, illustrator and a lecturer in film schools around the world. He began his career in animated film as a design maker in Rein Raamat’s Kilplased. For 18 years, he worked as an artistic director and an animated film section director at Tallinnfilm, since 1994 he has worked for Eesti Joonisfilm Studio.
So far, Pärn has directed 13 animated films, received over 80 awards, four of which were honorary awards. He is often a jury member at many film festivals in the world. Since 2008, he is a member of European Film Academy.
Often, Pärn’s films comment upon political systems and movements or the condition of the society. His works include Breakfast on the Grass (1987) , a glance at communist reality, associated with the painting by Edouard Manet; the film 1895 (1995) about unknown facts from the lives of the Lumière brothers; and Karl and Marilyn (2003), a film confronting capitalism and socialism.
“Priit Pärn is the legend of international animated film. He began his career in a courageous and rebellious way, deep in the times of Communism, when Estonia was one of the Soviet republics. His achievements prove that animated film is a discipline which can successfully deal with essential and difficult political and social issues and human condition. He can give the form of film expression even to the shameful, hidden features of human psyche. He enjoys respect and trust in international artistic community, and by his artistic activity and the results of his teaching, he contributes to make the little Estonia a radiating cultural superpower. The respects and trust of his fellow countrymen helps him to do it,” Professor Jerzy Kucia said on Pärn.
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Cover: Screenshot from Priit Pärn’s animation “Triangle” (1982).
