Co Hoedeman

It's summer and Ludovic is invited to his grandfather's farm. The little teddy bear finds Grandpa very saddened by the death of Grandma, and Ludovic is fascinated by a room filled with mementos. Grandma's portrait comes to life, and Ludovic is able to kiss and hug her. This poignant tale evokes the closeness and understanding between a grandfather and his little grandson who gradually learn to accept the death of a loved one.

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Ludovic: A Crocodile in My Garden is the second film in the collection Seasons in the Life of Ludovic. This one explores the world of play. Magical thinking governs Ludovic's world. It is springtime. Ludovic, in his garden, reigns over his menagerie of paper animals and their jungle home. In his improvised Africa, Ludovic goes from one surprise to another until the animals help themselves to the surprise brought by his mother. When they refuse to obey him, Ludovic doesn't want to play anymore. He bangs the door and pouts. But children's fights don't last. Reconciliation is not far off, especially when there is a snack to be shared by everyone.

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It's winter in a thatched cottage, home to a family of teddy bears. The young cub Ludovic dreams of tobogganing but his parents tell him he's too little. He invents wonderful games to share with a doll that miraculously comes to life. This tender tale evokes the cozy relationship between a child and a favourite toy.

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In a beautiful garden called Ecos, there are a variety of creatures there who neatly fulfill vital roles in the healthy ecological system of the area. However, this state of reasonable environmental harmony is disrupted when a new species of grub like creatures begin to ravish the land of a needed fruit. This folly leads to the disruption of the environment of the garden while this greed leads to a series of events that have tragic consequences.

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This animated film uses the Arctic landscape and the traditional Inuit characters of the Bear, the Seal and the Owl to raise young people's awareness about the harmful effects of substance abuse. A polar bear experiences hallucinations after inhaling fumes from an abandoned gas can. A nearby owl and seal help to show the bear the error of his ways, thus preventing him from falling further into addiction. This film was an initiative of the Natives of the Institution La Macaza to warn children of the dangers of inhaling toxic chemicals.

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Oscar-winning animator Co Hoedeman and his newest creature come together in this enchanting and colourful fable about the joys and pains of growing up. No sooner has the paint dried, than the puppet begins to take its first few steps and, urged on by the artist, begins to discover a wider world. He experiences the joys of playtime and sharing and eventually begins to spread his social wings. The film charts the shaping of a personality, and the evolution of a sense of self-awareness until the creature is ready to leave its protective environment. Live-action, puppets and pixilation create this amazing world of fantasy. Film without words.

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A touching story of the friendship between a grandfather and his grandson, this is a film about aging and death. Award-winning animator Co Hoedeman combines 3-D and cut-out animation techniques to create a very dramatic and moving film. The story follows Charles and François through the different stages of their lives. With time, they become closer, common experiences having diminished the difference in age. By the end of the film, time appears to stand still; both are over one hundred years old and they are almost indistinguishable.

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The magical fingers of master animator Co Hoedeman, whose film The Sand Castle won an Oscar in 1979, has created yet another world of piquant creatures. Papier mâché puppets ride machines and manipulate robots strange to the human eye. A great masquerade is in the planning, and the air crackles with excitement. Plunged into the joys and frustrations of creating costumes, the zealous puppets produce a bumper crop, each one more elaborate than the last. The film illustrates the creative process, with its inevitable pitfalls and rewards. It says that to create is to be alive.

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Octopus-like puppets cut out of foam rubber are the central characters in this delightful underwater fantasy with its message about ecology and conservation. Two Grotoceans sent on a special mission find all kinds of surprises awaiting them as they roam the sea in search of treasure. Film without words.

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This short animated film features the sandman and the creatures he sculpts out of sand. These lively creatures build a castle and celebrate the completion of their new home, only to be interrupted by an uninvited guest. Cleverly constructed with nuance, the film leaves interpretation open to the viewer. The film took home an Oscar® for Best Animated Short Film.

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This short film, in which a hunter is pursued, bound up and carried to a cave, tells the legend of a river, and of how fog came to the land. The story is enacted by Inuit using katadjak or throatsinging. The audience is locked in an alien world of sights and sounds where human activity seems propulsed by primeval forces.

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Lumaaq tells the story of a legend widely believed by the Povungnituk Inuit. The artist's drawings are transferred to paper, cut out, and animated under the camera. The result is Inuit prints in action. Dialogue, music and artwork make this film a total cultural transplant.

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Using life-like seal fur puppets, this animated short by Co Hoedeman tells the traditional Inuit tale of the owl and the raven. Why did the raven’s feathers turn jet-black? And what did the owl have to do with it?

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This short children's film by Co Hoedeman tells the story of 2 children and their encounter with an angry dragon, all represented by colourful building blocks.

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Using life-like seal fur puppets, this animated short by Co Hoedeman tells the traditional Inuit tale of the owl and the lemming.

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A dance of painted wooden Russian dolls (hollow inside and of graded sizes so that the largest holds all the rest). They twirl, swing and sway to gay Russian tunes, never losing their fixed reserve. As the dance ends they hop up in turn into the mother figure, who then hurries off the scene.

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A child founds a strange ball.

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A BAFTA award nominated animated documentary postulating that the Earth's land areas might actually be fluid (when it comes to movement).

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Ludovic: A Crocodile in My Garden is the second film in the collection Seasons in the Life of Ludovic. This one explores the world of play. Magical thinking governs Ludovic's world. It is springtime. Ludovic, in his garden, reigns over his menagerie of paper animals and their jungle home. In his improvised Africa, Ludovic goes from one surprise to another until the animals help themselves to the surprise brought by his mother. When they refuse to obey him, Ludovic doesn't want to play anymore. He bangs the door and pouts. But children's fights don't last. Reconciliation is not far off, especially when there is a snack to be shared by everyone.

Open details →

It's winter in a thatched cottage, home to a family of teddy bears. The young cub Ludovic dreams of tobogganing but his parents tell him he's too little. He invents wonderful games to share with a doll that miraculously comes to life. This tender tale evokes the cozy relationship between a child and a favourite toy.

Open details →

This short children's film by Co Hoedeman tells the story of 2 children and their encounter with an angry dragon, all represented by colourful building blocks.

Open details →

A dance of painted wooden Russian dolls (hollow inside and of graded sizes so that the largest holds all the rest). They twirl, swing and sway to gay Russian tunes, never losing their fixed reserve. As the dance ends they hop up in turn into the mother figure, who then hurries off the scene.

Open details →