Ernie Biscuit
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TITLE “Ernie Biscuit” by Adam Elliot*
STUDIO/SCHOOL Adam Elliot Clayographies
A taxidermist from Paris experiences an unexpected adventure, as a strange discovery inspires him to seek out a fond memory from his past. Ernee Bisquet embarks on a journey to Venice but finds himself making a new discovery as Ernie in Australia…
Elliot's most current clayography, Ernie Biscuit, is a 20-minute black-and-white short animated stop motion film exploring the life of a deaf Parisian taxidermist. In a similar style to his Academy Award-winning Harvie Krumpet, this film is a bittersweet biography that has both comedic and tragic elements. For the first time, Elliot has explored stronger themes of love, and the overall style is quite dynamic and fast-paced. It is lighter in tone to his other shorts and is narrated by long-time collaborator John Flaus, who has voiced Elliot's previous films Harvie Krumpet, Mary and Max, and Uncle.
Set in the sixties, Ernie is a reclusive, deaf taxidermist living in Paris. His whole life has been plagued by misfortune as is such the case for all characters in Adam Elliot’s work. A very nasty bullying instance involving a firecracker and an outhouse left a young Ernie bereft of his hearing, turning him completely mute. His only childhood solace was connecting with Nanette, an energetic Jewish girl on his street with whom Ernie fantasized about running away with to Venice and getting married.
Their young romance was cut mercilessly short by the invasion of Germany during the Second World War, and Ernie’s childhood sweetheart was never seen again. One day, when a dead pigeon shows up at his taxidermy shop’s doorstep, a slightly inebriated Ernie gets the sudden urge to go to Venice. Structurally, comparisons could be drawn from this setup, of an aging loner setting off to another country so he can fulfill a childhood promise to his love, to Pixar’s Up, only Ernie’s tale is told with a lot less sentimentality. He packs his bag and boards a plane with his pet duck Edith, whom he originally gave to Nanette as a present. However, due to a mix-up at the airport, the pair accidentally get on a plane that takes them to the deserted Australian outback.
Will Ernie ever find the bravery needed to achieve happiness? The film doesn’t actually begin with Ernie’s story; instead, Elliot chooses to show the audience the unfortunate set of circumstances that led to the recently deceased pigeon ending up on his doorstep. The ill-fated pigeon, through no fault of its own, finds itself being knocked out and thrown off a gargoyle, hurtling towards its unpleasant demise. It’s a grim opening that sets up the main idea of the film. The pigeon, like Ernie, is a hapless victim of circumstance; it has been quite literally knocked off its perch by an unfair world and left to rot in the street. Erni has gone through similarly demoralizing experiences, leaving him alone and hopeless. The film opens with a rather down to earth quote: “Some days you’re the windscreen… some days the insect”. It is safe to say that Ernie spends most of his days being the latter.
Ernie Biscuit is Elliot's first film since the release of Mary And Max in 2009 and therefore comes with high expectations. Luckily, it does not disappoint. Elliott, who has "written, directed, animated, produced, edited and constructed" Ernie Biscuit, has made a film that has a well-deserved place in his already impressive filmography.
Adam Elliot is an Australian stop-motion animation writer, director, and producer based in Melbourne, Australia. His five films have collectively participated in over seven hundred film festivals and have received over one hundred awards, including an Academy Award for Harvie Krumpet and five Annecy Cristals. Elliot calls himself an auteur filmmaker and each of his films has a bittersweet nature to them. He does not engage with commercial work and works exclusively on his own film projects. Based loosely on his family and friends, Elliot calls each of his works a Clayography, clay animated biography. Each film takes up to five years to complete. He is noted for his use of traditional 'in-camera' techniques, which means every prop set and character is a 'real' miniature handcrafted object. Elliot does not use digital additions or computer-generated imagery to enhance his visual aesthetic. His company, Adam Elliot Clayographies, produce the films and Elliot's work practices adhere to the French auteur methodology.
“Elliot calls each of his works a Clayography, clay animated biography. Each film takes up to five years to complete. He is noted for his use of traditional ‘in-camera’ techniques, which means every prop set and character is a ‘real’ miniature handcrafted object... ”
Each film has been voiced by notable actors including, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette, Geoffrey Rush, Eric Bana, William McInnes , Barry Humphries, and John Flaus. Elliot is also a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and in 1999 was awarded The Young Achiever of the Year for Victoria.
The film has been selected for the official competition at the Annecy International Animation Festival and had its European premiere in June 2015. Ernie Biscuit won Best Short Animation at the 5th AACTA Awards.
