Imagining the Author: Izabela Plucińska

Wednesday, 24. 9. 2025 at 14.00 / Vetrinj mansion, big hall

Welcome to the in-depth Q&A with the mentor of this year’s stop motion animation workshop at the WORKSHOT 2.0: SATIRE, BLASPHEMY, CARNIVAL. It is a pleasure and an honor to collaborate with Izabela Plucińska – a remarkable artist, gifted with great talent and unique skills that translate into engaging cinematic visions, as well as an absurd and sincere sense of humor.

The conversation will focus on following films:
Joko (2024), Portrait of Suzanne (2019), Sexy Laundry (2015), Afternoon (2012)

Izabela Plucińska 

Izabela Plucińska is a director of animated films. She was born in Poland and has lived in Berlin for 20 years. She is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Lodz and of Film Animation at the Cinematography Department of the Lodz Film School, where she also completed her Ph.D. and was promoted to doctor habilitated in the of Fine Arts. She specializes in animation in clay. Plucińska made 18 films, including Jam Session (2005), winner of the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. She is currently a lecturer at the Academy of Art in Szczecin (Poland), she has also guest lectured at the universities and schools in Germany, Switzerland, Kenya, and Rwanda. She run production company Claytraces until 2023, and in 2024 she co-founded another production company Wait a Second Film (Berlin).

Selected Filmography: Joko - clay, 2024; Outside - charcoal drawing, 2023; 98kg - charcoal drawing, 2021; Portrait of Suzanne - digital, clay, 2019; Evening - digital, clay, 2017; Sexy Laundry - digital, clay, 2015; Afternoon - digital on 35, clay, 2012; Josette and Papa - digital on 35, clay, 2010; Esterhazy - digital on 35, clay, 2009; 7 More Minutes - digital on 35, clay, 2008; Marathon - Digi Beta, clay, 2008; Breakfast - digital on 35, clay,2006; Backyard - 35mm, clay, 1999; Castling - 35mm, paper collage, 1998

01.

Joko
Izabela Plucińska (Animoon, Las Sztuki Foundation, Claytraces, Maur Film)
2024, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, 15'

Joko is a young man, supporting his entire family from his tanker job. On the second anniversary of his employment, Joko and his fellow workers are surprised by a meeting with unspecified foreign delegates who order ... him to carry them on his back.

Language: English, Polish 
Recommended for children under 14 years old: NO 
Technique: clay animation

Team: 

Directed by Izabela Plucińska 
Written by Izabela Plucińska and Justyna Celeda (adapted from Roland Topor) 
Animation: Martin Pertlíček, Izabela Plucińska, Karolina Gołębiowska 
Editing: Nikodem Chabior 
Sound: Michał Fojcik 
Music: Aliaksandr Yasinski
Voice actors: Maciej Litkowski (Joko), Anna Januszewska (Mother), Beata Zygarlicka (Wanda), Konrad Pawicki (Sir Barnet, Baptista), Arek Buszko (Doktor Fersen, Prof. Krank), Paweł Niczewski (Doktor), Adam Kuzycz-Berezowski (Bavastro), Marysia Dąbrowska (Amica) 
Producers: Grzegorz Wacławek (Animoon), Paulina Ratajczak (Las Sztuki Foundation), Izabela Plucińska (Clay Traces), Martin Vandas (Maur Film)
Distribution: KFF Sales & Promotion

02.

Afternoon
Izabela Plucińska (Claytraces)
2012, Poland, Germany, 3’

A two-part commentary on one single moment shared by a man and a woman. Although each of them is completely engaged with their own activities and doesn’t seem to notice anything else all of a sudden, owing to an unexpected incident, a couple will look towards one another once again.

Language: - 
Recommended for children under 14 years old: YES 
Technique: clay animation

Team: 

Written and directed by Izabela Plucińska 
DOP: Izabela Plucińska 
Editing: Izabela Plucińska 
Music: Michał Krajczok 
Production: Clay Traces (Izabela Plucińska)
Distribution: KFF Sales & Promotion

03.

Sexy Laundry  / Seks dla opornych / Seksi perilo
Izabela Plucińska (National Film Board of Canada, Claytraces, Las Sztuki Foundation)
2015, Canada, Germany, Poland, 12'

How can the flames of desire be rekindled after 25 years of married life? An erotic comedy, made entirely through the use of modelling clay, delves into the private lives of Alice and Henry, a couple in their fifties, numbed by routine.

Language: English 
Recommended for children under 14 years old: NO 
Technique: clay animation

Team: 

Written and directed by Izabela Plucińska 
Dialogues: Michele Riml 
Music: Normand Roger, Pierre Yves Drapeau, Denis Chartrand 
Sound design: Normand Roger, Pierre Yves Drapeau, Denis Chartrand 
Animation: Izabela Plucińska 
Character Design: Izabela Plucińska 
Key Animator: Robert Kuźniewski 
Editing: Dirk Schreier, Rudi Zieglmeier 
Compositing: Anna Levinson, Maria Steinmetz, Cynthia Ouellet Executive
Producer: Julie Roy (National Film Board of Canada) 
Line production: Karsten Matern 
Producer: Izabela Plucińska (Claytraces), Robert Kern, Marc Bertrand, Paulina Ratajczak (Las Sztuki Foundation)

04.

Portrait of Suzanne / Portret Suzanne
Izabela Plucińska (Claytraces, Las Sztuki Foundation, Films de Force Majeure)
2019, Poland, Germany, France, 15'

In a small hotel, there is a man who tries to stop the hunger for love by eating excessively. But his longing for his love, Susanne, will not be soothed by the plates full of meat cuts, vegetables and fruit.

Language: French 
Recommended for children under 14 years old: NO 
Technique: clay animation

Team:

Written and directed by Izabela Plucińska (adapted from Roland Topor) DOP: Izabela Plucińska, Robert Kuźniewski 
Production: Clay Traces , Fundacja Las Sztuki, Films de Force Majeure
Distribution: KFF Sales & Promotion