Spatial Pandemonium

Among the most creative and talented animated film directors, Raimund Krumme is universally recognized for his innovative approach to animation, which combines a playful formalism with serious themes of power and control. His short films have been featured at hundreds of international festivals and his striking minimalist style has influenced and earned the respect of animators and audiences around the world.

SPECTATORS (1989) 6 min, 47 sec. Based on a true incident involving a fatal riot at a Brussels football stadium, Spectators explores the behavior of crowds and the manipulation of the masses. At once ambiguous and deeply revealing, the film captures the emotional state of an audience gradually losing control.

CROSSROADS (1991) 10 min. In this very personal film, Krumme evokes the conflict and confusion experienced by an individual confronting a life-changing decision. Pulled by competing impulses and surrounded by people with their own ideas about how to proceed, the main character is finally forced to make a decision and embrace his destiny.

PASSAGE (1994) 6 min, 34 sec. In this whimsical and evocative parable, a master and his servant engage in a battle of wills as they attempt to cross a frozen lake. As they struggle and dance their way across the ice, the reality of who's really in control becomes increasingly clear.

THE MESSAGE (2001) 6 min, 13 sec. The first of Krumme's films to incorporate a textual element, Message again treats themes of power and control, but now with an ominous undercurrent of fear. In particular, the film touches on the dangers of nationalism and the imagined resurgence of an oppressive and deadly authority.

CHOIR OF THE PRISONERS (2004) 5 min, 58 sec. A complete departure for Krumme, this film, based on a scene from Beethoven's opera Fidelio, uses live actors, a special set and striking lighting effects to tell the story of a group of inmates. The prisoners' emergence from the darkness of their cells into the liberating light of day is a resonant metaphor for human freedom.

ROPE DANCE (1986) 9 min, 42 sec. In Krumme's first personal independent film, two characters wage a battle for control in a confined space defined by a few simple lines. The dominant character manipulates the other's every move by means of a rope, while his counterpart fights him every step of the way.