Viking Magazine - April 2014 - 54

Q&A
Accomplished Animator
Meet Torill Kove, an Academy Award-winning fi lmmaker
and illustrator from Norway. BY ANYA BRITZIUS
T
orill Kove grew up in
Hamar, Norway, and
moved to Montreal
in 1982 where she currently
resides. The talented animator
and illustrator is known for her
short fi lms and children's books.
In 2007, she won an Academy
Award for her short fi lm " The
Danish Poet. " Viking spoke with
Kove about her career and passion
for animation.
Q What prompted you to move to
Montreal to start your career?
A Montreal is an international
animation hub, with many
animation schools and studios
and a growing gaming scene. It's
also home to the National Film
Board of Canada (NFB), which is
known internationally for its animated
short fi lms. So it was the
best place for me to fi nd a way
into this world. I got an assistant
job at the NFB in 1994 and
have worked there on and off
ever since.
Q How did it feel to win an Academy
Award for " The Danish Poet " ?
A I never expected it to happen.
It felt unreal and very exciting.
When it started to sink in, I also
found it to be quite a humbling
experience. Receiving an award
like that makes one acutely
54 VIKING APRIL 2014 sonsofnorway.com
aware of all the outstanding artists
in one's community who are
deserving of such an award.
Q What's your take on the animation
scene today?
A Animation has adapted very
well to the huge change brought
about by innovations in digital
animation tools. There was a
time, not that long ago, when
people worried that computer
generated imaging (CGI) would
swipe anything handmade off the
map. But this has not happened.
If anything, the easy access to
all kinds of animation tools has
made it possible for animators
to continue to make the kind of
animation they prefer, as well as
explore and invent new ways.
Q What is your favorite part of the
creative process?
A I love the very beginning-
the story writing and the fi rst
sketches of the storyboard. It is
the period of hope and optimism,
when everything is possible. At
this stage, the visual idea only
exists in my head, where it is
undefi ned and perfect. Storyboarding
is also exciting, but it's
where I usually encounter the
fi rst inkling that I may not be
able to translate my mental image
of things into something real,
that the idea may be trapped in
my head forever.
Q What projects are you currently
working on?
A I am just fi nishing a short fi lm
called " Me and my Moulton. "
When it's done, I will make a
picture book based on it. My goal
is to keep making fi lms, both long
and short. I would love to write
a script for an animated feature
and direct it myself. But my story
ideas tend to be only about 10
minutes long, so we'll have to see.
Q What do you enjoy doing when
you return to Norway?
A I am still a Norwegian citizen,
and I go to Norway a couple of
times a year. One of my favorite
things is to hop on the streetcar
in downtown Oslo and take the
20-minute ride to the woods
to pick blueberries or go for a
swim in a lake. It's very beautiful.
My mother, two sisters and two
nephews live in Norway. I really
miss them and see them as often
as I can.
Name: Torill Kove
Origin: Hamar, Norway
Current City: Montreal
Short Films:
" My Grandmother Ironed
the King's Shirts (1999), "
" The Danish Poet (2006) "
http://www.sonsofnorway.com
Viking Magazine - April 2014

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