A TOWN CALLED PANIC: Q & A with filmmakers Stéphane Aubier & Vincent Patar (Recorded December 17, 2009)

Summary: A TOWN CALLED PANIC: Horse, Cowboy and Indian have a strange and wonderful ménage à trois. Animating generic plastic toys, these Belgian directors fashion an absurdist world that has plenty of room for friendship and love, birthday presents, online shopping, music lessons, and home improvements. Their francophone universe — recognizable to anyone who has ever been intimidated by a Parisian waiter — is filled with equal parts hilarity and anxiety. Horse is the most “mature” of the three and Cowboy and Indian are intent on winning his favor. Meanwhile, Horse — barely aware of their efforts — concentrates on wooing Madame Longray, the village’s sexy equine music teacher. This is animation for both adults and kids, in fact for anyone who has ever enjoyed the company of a plastic figurine on a rainy day. A TOWN CALLED PANIC is the only stop-motion animated feature to have been shown in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival. This podcast is a recording of the Q & A with filmmakers Stéphane Aubier & Vincent Patar, recorded December 17, 2009, at Film Forum after a screening of the film.