IMC 2012: Sessions
Session 428: The Secret of Kells: A Round Table Discussion
Monday 9 July 2012, 19.30-20.30
| Organiser: | Paul B. Sturtevant, Institute for Medieval Studies, University of Leeds |
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| Moderator/Chair: | Paul B. Sturtevant, Institute for Medieval Studies, University of Leeds |
| Abstract | This session will comprise a round table discussion and screening of the 2009 Irish animated film The Secret of Kells (dir. Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey). The session will begin with the round table discussion, focussing on the opportunities and difficulties in depicting the early medieval world, medieval culture, and medieval art through the medium of an animated film. The Secret of Kells is a fictional account of the creation of the Book of Kells in 7th-century Ireland. The Secret of Kells is part of a new wave of serious animation films which seeks to shake off the idea that animation is 'just for kids', instead using the medium to depict a world steeped in the beautiful non-representational art seen in manuscripts of the period. The characters at once live apart from and in tandem with nature, custom, and the Old Religion, and struggle to create works of beauty while under under constant threat of Viking invasion. The film has earned a host of accolades, including a 2010 Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. |