ANIMAFEST PRO | ANIMAFEST SCANNER XI | Panel 3: Humor in Animation

Pärn's Humor: Talking in the Fog - Akira Arimochi (Japan)

PANEL 3 - HUMOR IN ANIMATION
05/06 SRI 09:35-10:05 KIC

‘Unfinished caricatures possess the elements of good animation’, ‘There are no coincidences in animation.’ These are the words of Priit Pärn, the leading figure in Estonian animation. Estonian animation has gained international recognition through Pärn's work and his teaching. His works contain narratives that compel us to think. The characteristic feature of his work may be cathartic humor to confront the absurdity of society. These thoughts led to the question of the origins and purpose of his humor. Based on these thoughts, I made the following hypothesis; his humor reflects his experience as a caricaturist, theatre artist and surrealist artist in the Soviet society. Then, his humor aims to enrich everyday ways of seeing and thinking. His humor is displayed in a process: (1) He generates ideas by enriching his way of looking at and thinking about things, (2) He arranges these ideas through logical, constructive thinking, and (3) In doing so, he deliberately blurs the topics, as if conversing in a fog. The viewer of his work is compelled to walk and wander through the fog. As if a child takes a detour and wanders off on the way home from school. It is an important play to know the world and encounter new things. His remark, ‘There are no short and correct answers’, speaks volumes to this. To substantiate the hypotheses, (a) his statements and activities were analysed through an oral history, and (b) the content of his animation education at the university was analysed. With these, I will try to clarify as much as possible the quality of his humor. If answers to Pärn's question about humor can be presented, we may learn more about the relationship between animated narratives and humor created in the Soviet society. We may also learn how animated humor can enrich the viewer's thoughts. We hope these will help to understand the relationship between ethnic social change and the stories created by animation directors.

Akira Arimochi was born in 1977 in Japan. He is Professor of New Media & Image at the Aichi University of the Arts. He was a visiting researcher at the Estonian Academy of Arts for two years in 2012. In 2019 he obtained a Ph.D. from the Tokyo University of the Arts. His research focuses on the history of animation and comparative art studies, with special interest in Estonia. He has received several grants for his research and has conducted a total of 21 oral histories. He is fellow of The Japan Society for Animation Studies and the Japan Society of Image Arts and Sciences. He also has been showing his animations under the artist name ALIMO. His activities involve both historiographical theory and creative practice. His film Juxtaposed LAND (2023), a mixture of everyday life, allegory, and philosophy, world premiered at the Animafest Zagreb (2023).