Watch These 4 Animated Shorts By Belgian Filmmakers

These four stop-motion shorts are free to watch and present the magical world of animated storytelling

One of Irish illustrator Kevin Waldron's (@kev_wally) favorite go-to sources of inspiration is a long list he has created of animated shorts from all over the world. These projects demonstrate a variety of styles and approaches and tell entertaining, moving, and inspiring stories–they are sure to spur your imagination, whatever format you usually work in.

Today, Kevin spotlights four stop-motion shorts from his list, made in Belgium by director Guionne Leroy and directing and writing duo Emma De Swaef and Marc James Roels. Watch below!

Noi siamo zingarelle (1993)

4 mins

Directed by Guionne Leroy

Belgian director Guionne Leroy studied animation in Brussels before going on to work on a number of different features (including Toy Story, Chicken Run, and Coraline) and TV series as an animator and animation supervisor. She has worked in the USA, UK, France, Belgium, and Switzerland.

Noi siamo zingarelle is a 1993 stop motion animated short featuring music from La Traviata, the famous opera by Giuseppe Verdi. In this piece, desserts spring to life and travel across a perfectly laid table before transforming themselves into decorations for a luxurious white multi-tiered cake. This short was part of a collection called Opera Imaginaire, in which each animation was created to accompany one of the great opera classics.

Oh Willy (2012)

17 mins
Directed by Emma de Swaef & Marc James Roels

Emma De Swaef and Marc James Roels are a filmmaking duo based in Antwerp, Belgium. This stop-motion short follows Willy, our protagonist, who goes back to the nudist community he grew up in to visit his dying mother. After she passes away, he travels through the woods on a journey of self-discovery as he processes his grief, and gets tangled up in some unusual scenarios.

The characters and props are all made out of wool, which, along with the earthy and neutral palette and soft lighting, create a gentle tone that sometimes feels incongruent with the surreal narrative, making the scenarios Willy finds himself in even more surprising and delightful.

Arthur (1998)

4 mins

Directed by Guionne Leroy

Another stop-motion project directed by Leroy, Arthur is short soundtracked by a song from the opera King Arthur, by Henry Purcell.

The rocky landscapes change form and duel with the armored knight before pushing him around (and into a swamp) until her arrives at a gate leading to a castle on a hill.

Fight! (2013)

1 min
Directed by Emma de Swaef & Marc James Roels

Emma de Swaef and Marc James Roels teamed up again to create this 1-minute stop-motion trailer for the 2013 edition of the Bruz National Animation Film Festival, which takes place in Rennes in France.

Two wrestlers fight to the point of vomiting, before sitting down to have a beer.

If you’re interested in improving your 2D or 3D animation skills, check out our Domestika courses. If you’re interested in exploring how to tell a story with watercolor animal characters that makes children smile, check out Kevin Waldron’s Domestika course, Illustrated Animal Characters for Storybooks.

You may also like:

–10 Great Television "Bottle Episodes"
–Pioneers of Animation: Before Mickey Mouse
–The Fascinating Story of the Women Who Created the Great Disney Classics