The Apparitions
of our Lady – animated
By Željka Šaravanja

The animated film, Međugorje–Our Lady and the Children, presently at the production stage, relates the story of the first eight days of Our Lady’s apparitions in Medugorje. It is divided into eight parts, with each story having a different beginning, and new characters, and ends with the evening apparition to the seers of Our Lady at Podbrdo. The stories are based on the actual events, and stay as close to reality as the animation medium allows. The depiction of the events will in its own way contribute to spreading the messages that Our Lady has dispatched to the world through the seers.

The main character, Tvrtko, has been created as a uniquely acceptable character, with a view to being a possible ‘brand’ from the stories in the film. We see Tvrtko’s transformation from a bad to a good boy.
Besides the seers, there are many other real-life characters depicted, like Fra Jozo Zovko. And because of the necessary dramatic licence needed to tell the story, special attention was given to the characters of the animals in many of the satirical moments of the film.

The film is being produced in 3D animation, and will be about 45 minutes long. It has been scheduled as an entertaining as well as an educational project and is intended mainly for children between 5 and 15, but is also suitable for an older audience. The production uses the most modern computer techniques to enable faster and smoother animation. The narrator’s voice conducts us through the action, alongside the classical dialogues from the apparitions.

The project leader is Nikola Anić from Zagreb, and the producer is Miro Barnjak from Mostar, with the private Production House ‘Porta'. The project has been supported by the BiH Ministry of Culture, and the partners from abroad are welcome. The contact person is producer Miro Barnjak (miro.barnjak@gmail.com).

The full article can be found on pages 46-49 of Vol 3
2007 issue.