Animagica

Animagica is the beautiful coupling of Icelandic string-based group Amiina and shadow-puppet animation from German film-maker Lotte Reiniger.

Amiina has come a long way since starting off as a string quartet that often accompanied the better known Sigur Rós, both in the studio and on tour. The ladies have since added a couple of new male band members as well as electronic elements, glockenspiels, bells, water-filled glasses and an array of interesting percussive sounds to the mix.

Reiniger, meanwhile, forged a successful career for herself during the 20s, 30s and 40s at a time when women in film were something of a rarity. She is best known for the intricate hand-cut silhouettes and shadow-puppets that she cleverly manipulated into animations.

Held in the famous Spiegeltent, the combined work of Reiniger and Amiina provided an aural and visual treat. The scores of drifting instrumentals building to well-measured climaxes complemented each film individually (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin) by adding an enchanting soundscape from which the imagination can draw. Onlookers responded appropriately with “ooos” and “ahhhs” and even one loud “errr” at a particularly gory scene where the ugly step-sister carves off her foot so she can fit into the glass slipper!

Overall, the audience was a diverse mix of dedicated Amiina fans and others attracted by the lure of something new to show their children. To my surprise the whole crowd – consisting equally of little people and adults – was kept entertained for the duration of the 50-minute set. There wasn’t a hint of unrest, which could be fairly expected due to the non-Disney look of the simple paper-cut silhouettes. This was assisted by a number of screens showing the animations, one of which was at ground level for the children seated on the floor at the front.

Simple yet beautiful, Amiina took us on a journey of escapism into a (nearly) hundred-year-old landscape to resurface at the end of it all in the middle of Hyde Park. A morning well spent.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Sydney Festival presents
Animagica
Music: Amiina
Pupptry: Lotte Reiniger

The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park Sydney
January 24–25, 2012

Joan Sutherland Entertainment Centre, Penrith
January 27, 2012
Bookings: www.sydneyfestival.org.au