Harpya

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Harpya
Directed by Raoul Servais
Written by Raoul Servais
Starring Will Spoor
Fran Waller Zeper
Sjoert Schwibethus
Music by Lucien Goethals
Cinematography Raoul Servais (animation)
Walter Smets
Release date(s) May 1979
Running time 9 min
Country Belgium
Language None
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Harpya is a 1979 short Belgian animated film written and directed by Raoul Servais. It stars Will Spoor, Fran Waller Zeper and Sjoert Schwibethus. The film won the Palme d'Or for Best Short Film at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival.

Contents

[edit] Production

Servais uniquely animates his film using 35mm color front-projection of his characters onto a multiplane filmed, black velvet background. This technique conveys an eerie effect to the images, adding a dreamy, unreal tint to the story being told.

[edit] Synopsis

A moustached Belle Époque-styled man (Spoor) is walking down a dark street, when he hears the cries of a woman (Waller Zeper) as she is being strangled in a fountain. The man knocks out her assailant (Schwibethus), only to discover that she is in fact an Harpy. He stares in awe and amazement at the extraordinary apparition: a magnificient winged white bird, larger than an eagle, having the (bald) head and breasts of a woman. She (it) rejoices at having been rescued by beating her wings majestically. Fascinated, the man then makes the mistake of his life: he takes the beast to his home to shelter and feed it. He soon discovers, to his dismay, that the mythological creature is in reality a ruthless monster with an insatiable appetite. Over the days, the Harpy eats all his food, consumes his budget demanding still more; then eats his parrot (which suddenly disappears), and begins eyeing his host with a sinister stare. One night, when the man attempts to escape, the Harpy overwhelms him and eats his legs. Once the Harpy is asleep, the man crawls out of his house, joyfully finding French fries to eat. The Harpy flies out of the house and discovers him, eating his snack. The desperate, enraged man then attempts to strangle her. Upon hearing her cries, a police officer comes to the rescue and saves the would-be "victim" knocking the man to the ground; the Harpy then looks up at the officer in glee: she (it) has found a new protector.

[edit] Teachings

In spite of its crudeness, the film is highly educational, especially for young men in search of a partner in life: beware -as there may be Harpyes out there.

[edit] Awards

[edit] External links

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