Javier Recio, from Granada to Los Angeles passing through the Goya

'La Dama y la Muerte', the animated short film by Javier Recio, climbed a new step last night on its path to the Oscar. The director told Panorama Audiovisual the difficulties of having faced his first short with the addition of stereoscopy.

Javier Recio nada más tener el Goya al mejor corto de animación en sus manos se acordó de sus compañeros en la productora granadina Kandoor Moon. Esta productora es el resultado de un acuerdo entre el estudio Kandor Graphics, una de las divisiones de Melkor, una empresa granadina de desarrollo de software, con Green Moon, la productora de Antonio Banderas.

Con un presupuesto de 680.000 euros, La dama y la muerte ha sido seleccionado para luchar en la próxima edición de los Oscars por el galardón al mejor cortometraje de animación, junto con dos cintas francesas (French roast y Logorama), una irlandesa (Granny O’Grimm’s sleeping beauty) y una británica (A matter of loaf and death).

The short tells the story of a tender old woman who lives alone on her farm, waiting for death to be reunited with her deceased husband. One night while she sleeps, her life fades away when she receives a visit from death, which invites her to cross the threshold.

Javier Recio, after winning several awards as an author and comic artist, in 2006 joined the artistic department of the animation studio Kandor Graphics as a creator of characters, props, settings, storyboards, posters and merchandising. Reció participated in the development of The lost lynx, now launching with this winning short into a role as a director and screenwriter.

Recio acknowledged to Panorama Audiovisual that "reviewing previous editions of the Goya, I think none have been as close as this one. The four shorts were fantastic. The short by Rodrigo Blaas is impeccable...". Regarding the exit of Spanish animators in the country's professional market, Javier Recio pointed out that "there has always been a place for professionals in the international market and now I think there will be a place for Spanish productions." "The producers took a leap of faith with me because I had never made a short film. I trusted myself but I had doubts whether the public would ultimately like it," admitted the director from Granada.

Stereoscopy

According to Javier Recio, "stereoscopy has been a very important technical advance. However, having faced the first audiovisual product in Spain in 3D has brought us many headaches. Even so, we have not changed the narrative language, forcing it to output 3D, it is a very discreet stereoscopy that did not alter the original project in terms of language."

Regarding the possibilities of the Granada short finally receiving an Oscar, Recio admits that “although we have hope, we fight against the new production of Wallace and Gromit, which has already won three Oscars, as well as with other independent productions of excellent quality... but, our advantage is that thanks to platforms like the Internet, the short is becoming very well known and is being liked a lot."

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