Director Kristina Dufková’s charming stop-motion and 2D-animated feature Living Large has quickly become one of the popular underdog projects of the year. After winning the Contrechamp Jury Prize at Annecy, this Czech-Slovak-French adaptation of the children’s book by Mikael Olivier (La Vie, En Gros) went on to be nominated for both a Best European Film and Best Animated Feature prize at this year’s European Film Awards. The movie centers on the dilemmas of a food-loving 12-year-old who discovers that his plus-sized physique may be an obstacle in winning the heart of the coolest girl in his class.
We recently had the chance to interview the director about her acclaimed feature, which is also qualified for Oscar consideration this year:
Animation Magazine: Can you tell us a bit about how you got involved with this project?
Kristina Dufková: I was looking for inspiration for my next film many years ago, and short novel by the French writer Mikaël Ollivier (La vie, en gros) happened to come my way. I used to read it to my daughter when she was younger. I was captivated by its humor, energy, lightness, and the sensitivity with which Ollivier could tell such a complicated story. I later found out that it was his personal story. At that time, my daughter and I were dealing with issues related to accepting our own bodies, and everything that comes with adolescence. So, I decided to make a film on this topic, to show that everyone goes through it and that she is not alone in dealing with such problems. It’s a film primarily for her. I just happened to finish it after she’d already grown up. But when kids in that age come to me and say they connected with the film and understand Ben, that brings me the greatest joy. That’s why I made it.
What attracted you to the movie?
Animation gives me the opportunity to tell a story from a different angle and with a certain lightness, playing with the medium itself. It lightens what is otherwise a very physical and realistic story, and at the same time draws the audience more deeply into it.
Where was the animation produced and how long did it take to complete the film?
The filming took place at a small studio, Barletta, in the heart of Prague, with a small, almost “family-like” team. Stop-motion animation took two years and three months, so you become very close to each other. I had five animators, a cameraman with assistants, a production manager, an assistant director, and six people in the workshop—a bit like a larger family. The 2D animation was done in Paris at Novanima Studio, simultaneously with the post-production work on the image, which took place in Prague and Bratislava at MagicLab. It took almost another year to finish the film.
Can you talk a bit about the overall look of the movie and your inspirations for it?
At the beginning, it was very hard to justify that I wanted to tell a story about everyday life. It’s not typical material for animation. It was difficult to explain that animation would give it charm and draw audiences deeply into the story. That’s why I often mentioned Adam Elliot’s Mary & Max to explain my intentions. It’s one of my favorite films. Visually, puberty itself was an inspiration to me. I tried to capture the transformations that the human body goes through during this time — long arms and legs, noses, pimples, weird hairstyles … everything that goes along with it. It’s a view of the world through the eyes of puberty. Since the film isn’t aimed at young children, I was able to embrace this approach.
Looking back, what were your biggest challenges?
Getting the film to the production stage, securing all the necessary funding. I am very grateful to my producers for believing in the project as much as I did. They gave me complete freedom. Filming itself was pure joy. Of course, there were challenges — water animation, silicone bodies, crowd scenes—but thanks to the skilled people on the team, it all came together naturally.
How big were the sets and the puppets?
The puppet of Ben, the main character, is about 27 cm (10.6 inches) tall. We had four copies of him made and countless heads and parts of heads with various expressions. One of the largest sets, where we also filmed the longest, was the school staircase, which was about six meters (19.7 feet) long. Another large set was the dock by the pond, where Ben has a conversation with his father. Behind it is a vast landscape in multiple layers. Other interiors, like the classroom or Ben’s room, were about 1×1 meters (3.3 feet).
How many people worked on the movie with you?
As I mentioned earlier, we were a relatively small team — five to six animators, six people working on the puppets, props and sets. There were about 15 of us in the studio, and we could all fit around one table for lunch. But there were many more people involved in the film, without whom it wouldn’t have been possible — skeleton makers, wig artists, costume designers, 2D animators, the editor, the composer and more.
What was the most memorable response you have received from the film’s audiences around the world?
Recently, for instance, children in Taiwan kept mentioning Ben’s green glasses. I’m always most touched when kids come up to me after a screening and say how deeply the film affected them, that they want to bring a friend or show it to their parents, that it helps them express certain feelings. That makes it all worthwhile, knowing that making this film had meaning.
How would you describe the thriving Czech animation scene in 2024?
It’s wonderful to look around and see my classmates and friends thriving. I’m very happy about that. I feel that the Czech animation scene is finally returning to the glory it had in the last century when we were considered one of the most talented nations in animation. This applies not only to feature films like My Sunny Maad by Michaela Pavlátová, which was nominated for a Golden Globe, or Tony, Shelly and the Magic Light by Filip Pošivač, and Even Mice Belong in Heaven by Denisa Grimmová and Jan Bubeníček, both of which achieved significant international success, but also to short films. Recently, the Czech Republic received an Oscar nomination for the short film Daughter by Daria Kashcheeva. Many other Czech names also resonate at festivals: Bára Anna Stejskalová, Diana Cam Van Nguyen, Jan Saska and more.
Who are some of your big animation influences/heroes?
Mary & Max by Adam Elliot is one of my favorite films. I also love Caroline Leaf’s films — I wrote my school thesis on her. And Michaela Pavlátová’s films. I went into animation because of her short film Words, Words, Words.
What would you like audiences to take away from Living Large?
A joyful feeling!
Living Large is nominated for two European Film Awards, and has also qualified for Oscar consideration in the animated feature film category this year.
