Peter Foldes
Encyclopedia
Peter Foldes, born in 1924 in Budapest
, Hungary
and died March 29, 1977 in Paris
, was a director and animator of British nationality.
(1956).
A Short Vision
became one of the most influential British animated films ever made, when it was screened on US television as part of the popular Ed Sullivan Show
. Although children were advised to leave the room while it played, it still caused outrage and alarm with its graphic representation of the horrors of nuclear war. In the film, wild creatures flee in terror as a strange missile flies overhead. As it passes over the sleeping city, the world's leaders and wise men look upwards. The missile explodes, destroying humans, wild creatures and the Earth itself. It caught the mood of the times, since the mid-1950s was the height of both the Cold War and nuclear paranoia.
Foldes later moved to Paris, where he became an early pioneer in computer animation. In the 1960s, he worked for the Research Service of the ORTF. He is one of the pioneers of computer animation with his film Hunger
, which received the Jury Prize in the "short film" category at Cannes Film Festival
as well as an Academy Award nomination.
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and died March 29, 1977 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, was a director and animator of British nationality.
Biography
Budapest-born Peter Foldes (1924-1977) was one of a number of Hungarian artists (another was the film's composer Mátyás Seiber) who ended up working with fellow countryman John Halas on the latter's animated films after he moved to Britain in 1946. After leaving Halas, Foldes made a number of animated films in collaboration with his British wife Joan (b. 1924), starting with the allegorical Animated Genesis (1952), On Closer Inspection (1953) and A Short VisionA Short Vision
A Short Vision is a British animated film written and directed by Peter Foldes and his wife, Joan. It is narrated by James McKechnie. Created after the United States first detonated a hydrogen bomb in 1952, the film depicts the complete annihilation of the Earth and all life on it...
(1956).
A Short Vision
A Short Vision
A Short Vision is a British animated film written and directed by Peter Foldes and his wife, Joan. It is narrated by James McKechnie. Created after the United States first detonated a hydrogen bomb in 1952, the film depicts the complete annihilation of the Earth and all life on it...
became one of the most influential British animated films ever made, when it was screened on US television as part of the popular Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
. Although children were advised to leave the room while it played, it still caused outrage and alarm with its graphic representation of the horrors of nuclear war. In the film, wild creatures flee in terror as a strange missile flies overhead. As it passes over the sleeping city, the world's leaders and wise men look upwards. The missile explodes, destroying humans, wild creatures and the Earth itself. It caught the mood of the times, since the mid-1950s was the height of both the Cold War and nuclear paranoia.
Foldes later moved to Paris, where he became an early pioneer in computer animation. In the 1960s, he worked for the Research Service of the ORTF. He is one of the pioneers of computer animation with his film Hunger
Hunger (1974 film)
Hunger/La Faim is a 1974 animated short film produced by the National Film Board of Canada. It was directed by Peter Foldes and is one of the first computer animation films...
, which received the Jury Prize in the "short film" category at Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
as well as an Academy Award nomination.
Filmography
- 1952 : Animated genesis, animated short film
- 1956 : A Short VisionA Short VisionA Short Vision is a British animated film written and directed by Peter Foldes and his wife, Joan. It is narrated by James McKechnie. Created after the United States first detonated a hydrogen bomb in 1952, the film depicts the complete annihilation of the Earth and all life on it...
, animated short film - 1964 : Un Appétit d'oiseau, animated short film
- 1965 : Dim Dam Dom, television series
- 1968 : La Belle cérébrale, short film
- 1969 : Je, tu, elles...
- 1971 : Metadata, animated short film
- 1971 : Narcissus, animated short film
- 1974 : HungerHunger (1974 film)Hunger/La Faim is a 1974 animated short film produced by the National Film Board of Canada. It was directed by Peter Foldes and is one of the first computer animation films...
, animated short film - 1977 : Rêve, animated short film
- 1977 : Visage, animated short film
External links
- Peter Foldes on the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...