BERTHA AND THE WOLFRAM
Short documentary 2020
Synopsis
Meet Bertha, a 13 year old Belgian girl fighting every day against her ultimate enemy: Wolfram. Wolfram is a rare disease that affects her nervous system with major consequences on her eyesight. To fight Wolfram, Bertha has her own secret weapon: creativity. When she paints, it’s as if her brush becomes a sword that she carefully uses to create extraordinary paintings - and control Wolfram. Together with a renowned Belgian painter, they create inspiring paintings that they sell at the Eye Opener, a yearly fundraising art exhibition.
Trailer
written and directed TIJS TORFS
produced LAS BELGAS
animation PENELOPE DELTOUR / GERT VAN GOETHEM
director of photography DRIES VANDERAERDEN /TIJS TORFS
editor LAWRENCE PAUL FOLEY
music DAVE MARTIJN
soundproduction MATHIEU VAN DEN DRIESSCHE
production assistent CELINE VANHOUTTE
image post production MIKROS IMAGE
sound post production A SOUND
Festival selections:
-JEF Festival (Belgium)
-Dok Leipzig (Germany)
-Chicago international children's film festival (US
-Docville (Belgium)
-Oulu International Children's and Youth Film Festival ( Finland)
-Filemon (Belgium)
-Olympia (Belgium)
-Dokkino (Finland)
-Leuven Kort film festival (Belgium)
-Rare disease film festival (Berlin)
-Seattle Children's film festival (Seattle)
-Thessaloniki film festival (Greece)
- Kids Kino IFF (Poland)
-Crested Butte Festival (US)
- Kids Kino IFF (Poland)
-Cinema in sneakers (¨Poland)
-Festival Internacional de Cine para Ninos (Mexico)
-Oberhausen film festival (Germany)
-Minikino Festival (Bali)
-Extraordinary Film Festival (Belgium)
-Zlin Film Festival (Czechia)
Awards:
-Best short documentary (Chicago international Children's film festival)
-Best short film (JEF Belgium)
Best short film children's jury (JEF Belgium)
-Best short and mid length film festival (Olympia Children's film festival )
Reviews
"A moving film that touches you deeply. It showed a disease that is not widely known, which made it very interesting. The combination between live action and animation was fun. It is nice that Bertha does not lose heart and take action."
CHILDREN JURY JEF FILM FESTIVAL
"This encouraging documentary is inventive and intriguing in its form. The main character Bertha shows us how creativity can help us not only to deal with a disease, but also to share that experience with others. The use of animation adds an extra layer to the story"
PROFESSIONAL JURY JEF FILM FESTIVAL
"By alternating documentary scenes with charcoal animation, director Tijs Torfs gives the heroic battle even more spice. Torfs knows that tearjerkers don't work with children, so he avoids portraying Bertha as a victim. He turns the girl into a brave painter with an artistic future. Hope, art and animation make this documentary the most shining pearl."
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