Vlado Kristl

Vlado Kristl is a great mystery to me. I have known these stills from "The Great Jewell Robbery" (Zagreb Film, Yugoslavia, 1960) since 1962, the year they were published in "Design In Motion" by John Halas and Roger Manvell. I had never heard of Vlado Kristl, let alone seen his animations but I found his graphic animation work supremely stimulating and inspiring. In 1970, in Barcelona, at a German cultural centre, they had a Kristl retrospective but to my chagrin I discovered that they were live action shorts and they informed us that Kristl couldn't come because of visa difficulties. The films were curious but not remarkable, amateurish super 8 psychodelia, so popular in those days..Some of them showed his paintings, abstract work, very colourful but not original. It was a big let down. In the mid-eighties, London's Channel Four showed "The Great Jewell Robbery" and I managed to video it. It was as beautiful as I figured by looking at the stills. I would even dare to say that it is one of the most interesting animated shorts made in Europe. I watched the video many times and my enthusiasm for it has never dimished. Alas, I still know nothing about it's author. I colourised this stills myself because they are of poor quality in the reproduction. Click on the image to enlarge.

"Don Quixote" (No date). This film is even more elusive. Another Kristl epic produced by Zagreb Studios. I only know this still, which I love.