In 2009, the Irish studio CartoonSaloon completed the creation of a full-length color animation called "The Secret of Kells Abbey" (alternative title - "The Secret of Kells"). This is a truly amazing and wonderful project, the events of which cover the history of Ireland in the 9th century. The plot has two main lines that go side by side and are constantly intertwined with each other. On the one hand, this is the story of the adventures of a little monk boy named Brendan, and on the other, the story of how the Book of Kells (a real manuscript) was saved and completed.
Working on the cartoon, the directors used two techniques at once - drawing and computer animation. The debut of the project took place at various festivals, where he received a resounding success. In the same year they even wanted to nominate him for an Oscar, but the world show received mostly limited rental.
About release
The Secret of Kells debuted at the end of January 2009 at the French film festival in Gerardmer. In the same year he was shown at other prestigious international festivals - Berlin, Warsaw, Istanbul, Belgium and others.
A year later, the cartoon continued to collect rave reviews from the audience and receive various prizes. He was included in the top 20, and then in the top 5 full-length animated film candidates for the Oscars. Unfortunately, the project did not reach the prize itself.
Despite the fact that the official date of the creation of the cartoon The Secret of Kells is 2009, the rights to rent in our country were obtained only after 2 years, in 2011. A year earlier, in 2010, it was shown by American and English cinemas.
Plot
Ireland, IX century. In the local outback stands an ancient abbey called Kells, hidden from prying eyes. Its leader is the authoritarian Rector, who is also involved in the education and training of young monks. One of his pupils is an orphan boy named Brendan.
Despite his young age (12 years), Brendan shows great learning abilities, loves to work along with everyone and is distinguished by his glorious character.
Every day, the monks try to strengthen the walls of their abbey in order to protect themselves from Viking raids. One day, Brother Aidan arrives in Kells, the famous master illustrator, who is also the keeper of an unusual illustrated manuscript. Aidan decides to make Brendan his apprentice. Talking about the art of illustration, he awakens in the young monk a passionate interest in creativity and unique talent.
Book of Kells - what is it?
The centerpiece of the plot of the cartoon is the Book of Kells. But what is it? This manuscript is a real miracle and a truly grand achievement by illustrators of that time. According to historical data, the Book of Kells was created by Irish (then they were still Celtic) monks around the year 800. The manuscript is generously decorated with various miniatures and graceful ornaments - all this makes it one of the most richly illustrated written works that have come down to us since the Middle Ages.
According to many researchers, the Book of Kells is also one of the most significant works of Irish art of that time. It contains 4 Gospels written in Latin. The introduction and interpretation pages show off various colored patterns and miniatures that take your breath away with the beauty of their performance.
Today, the library of Irish Trinity College, located in Dublin, has become the location of the Book of Kells.
Cartoon characters
Almost all the characters in The Secrets of Kells are fictional and have no historical prototypes. An exception can be considered the protagonist, a prototype of which many consider St. Brendan Klontfersky, a famous contemporary of St. Columbus. There is also the assumption that the real Kells abbot of that period was indeed called Kellach.
Character List:
- Monk boy Brendan (and his matured version).
- Forest Fairy named Ashley.
- Brother Aidan.
- Abbot Kellah.
- Monks Tang, Assua, Square.
Awards and nominations
2008 - producers Tom Moore (director) and Paul Young received a prize from the Directors Guild of Ireland.
2009 - the cartoon was presented at international festivals in Annes and Dublin, where he received a prize of audience sympathy. In the same year, “The Secret of Kells Abbey” was presented at the Zagreb World Cartoon Festival, where directors Moore and Tumi were honored with special mention.
2010 - at the Boulder International Film Festival, the work received the title of "Best Cartoon".
Historical background and interesting facts
Like any other work of art, the cartoon "The Secret of Kells Abbey" boasts a variety of references and interesting details.
Here are some of them:
- This abbey is located near Kells in County Mitt (40 km from the city of Dublin). Its foundation took place in 514 St. Columbus
- Many of the drawings shown in the cartoon repeat the images from the pages of this book of Kells. For example, a scene in which the main character enters the forest shows unique forms of trees, similar to the shapes of arches and pillars found in the manuscript.
- In the 8th century, a monk lived in Ireland who wrote a poem specifically for his cat. The animal's name was Pangur Ban, and it was this name that the creators of the cartoon "The Secret of Kells Abbey" decided to give Brother Aidan the character of a fictional cat.
- Fairy Ashley got her name from the word Aisling (literally meaning "imagination"). This is a reference to the poetic genre called "eshing", found in works of Irish literature. Ashling is a vision of a beautiful woman.