SEPPIA has appointed DADA! Animation to produce animated sequences for the hybrid documentary series There Were Millions of Them (lls étaient des Millions). The trailer, unfolding the world map of the greatest migration phenomenon in Western history, will be showcased at the Sunny Side of the Doc in La Rochelle from June 19-22.
Co-produced with Arte France, Arte GEIE, Arte Germany/Saarländischer Rundfunk and Indi Film (Germany), the 3 x 52’ docuseries details the massive human migration which took place in waves throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. These accelerating waves of migration during the next hundred years saw 56 million Europeans pack their bags and seek a new life abroad. The series is directed by Patrick Cabouat, written by Bruno Ulmer and Catherine Ulmer-Lopez.
There Were Millions of Them unfolds the world map of the greatest migration phenomenon in Western history in a large fresco, combining animation reconstructions, graphic novel style, and documentary. From the end of the Thirty Years’ War to the 1920s, millions of people left the lands of continental Europe — ravaged by wars, epidemics and climate disasters — to recount the dream of a better life that has built cities, states and cultures far away in Russia, the Americas and North Africa — histories that have forged industrialization, globalization and capitalism.
In partnership with the German studio SERU Animation, DADA! Animation developed various animated assets based on AI-generated style transfer to complete the conversion of artistic masterpieces and painted landscape scenery into animated sequences to illustrate the story of these families.
SEPPIA’s producer and co-owner, Cédric Bonin, says that visually and narratively depicting the profound migratory movement that spans two centuries and three continents in a documentary approach presented a huge challenge that the creative team was excited to tackle.
“How could we bring to life the stories of these migrants, whose journeys and experiences we have discovered? From the very beginning, our team of authors dismissed the idea of using fiction. It would have been too costly and logistically challenging, considering the vast number of territories and periods involved,” he says. “Instead, we turned to animation as a means to portray this expansive human tapestry and represent the historical figures, many of whom were humble individuals for whom visual documentation was often non-existent. We decided that an aesthetic inspired by graphic novels would allow us to give them faces and create a connection between the audience and these migrants from the past.”
DADA! Animation developed the artistic direction of There Were Millions of Them, helping SEPPIA get to grips with the animation production process, from writing and animatics to delivery. DADA! Animation co-founder, Jérôme Mouscadet, says that the company constantly strives to master real-time technologies and innovate within its digital lab, breaking down the barriers of animated images and collaborating with sectors and genres other than traditional youth programming.
On Wednesday, June 21, DADA! Animation co-founder and head of innovation Quentin Auger will participate in a Sunny Side of the Doc panel discussion where he will share his expertise on archival material and innovative uses in documentary filmmaking and how DADA! Animation developed the animated aesthetic for There Were Millions of Them that the producers believe will resonate with history enthusiasts, animation lovers and families alike.
There Were Millions of Them will be broadcast on Arte and made available on Arte’s free VOD platform in six languages all over Europe. The series will also benefit from a multi-broadcast on national and regional television and non-linear services across Germany. CLPB Rights will manage the international distribution.
DADA! Animation and SEPPIA are also collaborating on additional documentary and immersive projects, including:
Camel’s Nanobodies: A Medical Revolution (52 min.) tells the story of how, by a twist of fate, Belgian scientists discover a mighty antibody with exceptional properties in the immune system of camelids. This miniature molecule, revolutionizing medical science with its capacity to fight off almost any invading pathogen, is at the heart of innovation in fighting infections, devising new therapies against cancer or diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease.
While retracing this medical success story from a Brussels University and a biotech start-up to the Big Pharma it is today, the documentary mixes real-life sequences with 2D and 3D animation to reveal how and why camelids possess this secret weapon.
Director: Marc Jampolsky
Coproducers: SEPPIA and Arte France, in association with Laengengrad Film Production (Germany) and Associate Directors (Belgium)
Broadcasters: Arte, RTBF, 3SAT, VRT
Creative Animation Services: DADA! Animation
International Distributor: Terranoa
In-between World of Voodoo (5 x 6′, VR) immerses viewers in the mysterious and fascinating world of voodoo religious practices based on animist beliefs with their roots in Africa. Offering a unique anthropological and spiritual experience, the VR series explores this peaceful religious practice that still stirs up fantasies of violence and black magic through a blend of 360 and volumetric video with VFX.
Director: Tawan Arun
Coproducers: SEPPIA Films/VR Journey Partner: Région Grand Est, Institut Français, Europe Creative Media
Creative Animation Services: DADA! Animation
Distributor: Diversion Cinéma
