"Ursus" by Atom Art

Latvian award-winning animation short “Ursus” is now available to watch online. 

“Ursus” is a heartfelt story of a motorcycling circus bear's loneliness and search for freedom. The directing debut of Latvian animator and outstanding children's book illustrator Reinis Petersons has been screened in over 70 international film festivals since 2011, including world premiere at Clermont-Ferrand, participation in Annecy, Special Int'l Jury Prize at the Animation Festival Hiroshima, the Best First Film award at Animafest Zagreb, the Best Debut Film award at National Film Festival “Lielais Kristaps”, Latvia, and other awards and special mentions. 

The film is made with charcoal-on-paper technique, drawn entirely by hand. The drawing varies greatly through the film – from sharp lines to criss-cross patterns to fuzzy clouds of charcoal powder mixed with saw dust, depicting diverse environments – the circus, the forest, the meadow, fog and night – with skill and delicacy, as well as showcasing the possibilities of the seemingly limited black-and-white technique.

Director/Writer/Designer: Reinis Pētersons

Composer: Jēkabs Nīmanis

Animator: Mārtiņš Dūmiņš

Sound: Ģirts Bišs

Phonography: Maksims Šenteļejevs 

Editor: Dāvis Sīmanis

Producer: Sabīne Andersone

Studio: Atom Art