Mar 21, 2022

Get to Know Indie Filmmakers Cintis Lundgren

In this series, we present some of the most interesting independent animation artists working today. Through their short films and other projects, these artists are changing our ideas about what is possible in this medium.

Today's profile is of Chintis Lundgren, an Estonian-born animator based in Croatia.

In a nutshell: Self-taught, Lundgren quickly emerged on the animation scene with visually distinctive and quirky works that place animal characters in absurd, perverse, and decidedly human situations.

Where to Start: Manivaldo (2017). Manivaldo is a 33-year-old man who lives with his mother. But everything is about to change when a sexy handyman named Toumas arrives to fix his washing machine. An absurd yet heartfelt portrait of an emotionally starved generation, the film satirically pokes fun at the sometimes unhealthy parent-child bond.

Next to watch: The Life of Herman R. Lott (2015). This variation on "The Odd Couple" depicts a messy love affair between Herman, a gruff mouse, and a tidy, uptight cat. It is a delightfully and uncomfortably accurate depiction of how precarious and difficult it can be to maintain a relationship.

Other major works: Kingfisher (2014), Thomas: Bottom of the Valley of the Wolves (2019), Spark: One for the Ages (2020)

Influences: Prito Perun, Aki Kaurismäki

says: "When I see a perfectly balanced black-and-white photograph, I want to see a picture that is perfectly balanced. I feel a strange satisfaction when I see a perfectly balanced black and white photograph. I can't explain why, but too many different colors in one frame makes me uncomfortable. At the moment I really like the combination of different shades of red and pink.

Currently working on: Manivald and the Absinthe Rabbits, a proposed series about Manivald's life after he leaves his mother's house.