Popular Norwegian animated fairy tales

The re-launch of Norwegian animation legend Ivo Caprino's famous Norwegian fairy tales less than a year ago, has become a real success. More than 500,000 DVD copies of the puppet and animation productions have been sold so far. In less than a couple of months last Christmas Caprino Studios sold more than 500.000 copies, which is a blockbuster number. Never has any title sold more in Norway, even compared with musical records, or books. Caprino’s World of Adventure received the “Best DVD release of the year” in March 2006.

- The Norway Post asked Remo Caprino, son of the late Ivo Caprino, who have bought the DVD' of the 'rejuvinated' and highly spectacular entertaining works of Norway’s most beloved animator.

- Children of all ages! To most people in Norway, we are happy to say, our films represent positive quality, non violent family entertainment that bring down generation gaps. The films are family uniting rather than splitting.

- But to answer your question seriously, our customers are mainly parents and grandparents who wish to introduce and relive our films together with their children and grandchildren. This time in a picture and sound quality never seen before. Caprino Studios have spent more than two years, and about ten million Norwegian crowns, that is about USD 1,5 renovating the films, Caprino says.

In addition to the successful feature film 'The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix', known to many, which tales have been most popular among your new audience abroad?

- It is hard to say, apart from the 'Pinchcliffe Grand Prix' movie I think 'Karius and Baktus' is one of the more known abroad. I remember, however, I showed our films to an enthusiastic audience of parents and children in a Caprino film festival in Bologna, Italy, two years ago. After the screenings we had a popular vote session in which the Foxes Widow actually got the highest marks. However, several of the 13 films in this Caprino's Collectors Box have never been publicly shown abroad. The 'Little Frick and the Fiddle' for example, which was one of my father’s favourites as well as mine, won 1st Prize in the Venice film festival all the way back in 1952. It was actually my fathers international break-through. Since then it has hardly been screened, until now.

What have been some of the reactions to these typically Norwegian fairy tales and stories, by the audience from other cultures?

- The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix, which last year won the prestigious “Film of the Century” in Norway, is now being relaunched in Japan on theatres, and later next year on DVD, together with the other fairy tale titles. It was a great hit in its time, and we hope the restored version will be as popular this time over.

- I remember once I showed the Pinchcliffe Grand Prix to several thousands of Philippine children during the Manila Film Festival. The crowd cheered and had the same reactions as did the Norwegian audience. By the way, the film actually holds a world record: Never has any film title sold more theatre tickets in its domestic market. Throughout the years the film has sold more than 5,5 million tickets, and that is in a population of about 4 million people. Even Hollywood raises eyebrows when they are faced with such fact, Caprino says.

- Our great aspiration, however, is to be able to reach out to the huge population of people with Norwegian ancestors in the US. As you well know they today actually outnumber the population of Norway. With our films this huge contingent of people will be able to get a taste of Norwegian Culture in a very positive way. And since all the films in this DVD release are dubbed into English, - as well as Norwegian of course, - many of you will be able to refresh the language of the 'old country' without sacrificing the full understanding, Caprino concludes.

To learn more about the wonderful productions of Ivo Caprino and Caprino productions, their merchandise products and the new MOCAP technology see //www.caprino.no - or DVD cut.....

(The Norway Post)

Rolleiv Solholm

Written by Rolleiv Solholm