The Aroma of Tea

The Netherlands2006animated4'Retrospektywa Michaela Dudoka de Wita (2023)

What purpose can you use tea leaves for? To paint an experimental animation where the protagonist is a little dot moving through winding tunnels and corridors. Its journey resembles flowing downstream – which begins with a small, narrow stream to end with an open outlet into an ocean with islands and fish shoals. This abstract underground world may also be made of simple brush strokes left on paper by means of which an artist pays tribute to the art of calligraphy. The rhythmical movement of the dot combined with baroque music creates a hypnotic film experience.

directed by
Michael Dudok de Wit, portret reżysera
Michael Dudok de Wit

Michael Dudok de Wit (1953) was born and received education in the Netherlands. He went to university in Geneva, Barcelona and Farnham in the UK, where he directed his first film, ‘The Interview’. Since 1980 he has lived in London. He has directed and animated many award-winning productions for the commercial sector and television. In 1992 he created the short film ‘Tom Sweep’ followed by an Oscar-nominee and César Award winner, ‘The Monk and the Fish’. His most famous short film ‘Father and Daughter’ was honoured with a Grand Prix in Annecy, the Academy Award, BAFTA, a Grand Prix of Animafest in Zagreb and many other distinctions. It was also screened and awarded at the Krakow Film Festival. In 2006 de Wit directed ‘The Aroma of Tea’, a short film made using exclusively tea. His most recent work is ‘The Red Turtle’, a feature film coproduced by world-famous Studio Ghibli from Japan. It was nominated to the Academy Awards (2017) and won Un Certain Regard, a special award of Cannes festival, among many other honours. Additionally, Michael Dudok de Wit illustrates books and teaches master classes on animation, creativity and related topics at artistic schools and universities in the UK and abroad.

script
Michael Dudok de Wit
animated by
Michael Dudok de Wit
music
Arcangelo Corelli
sound
Nic Gill
editing
Michael Dudok de Wit
production
Willem Thijssen (Cinété Filmproductie BV)
Photo
Kadr z filmu The Aroma of Tea