Watch the award-winning Animated shorts, the Bloeistraat 11 Short Film (Flowering Street) (2018) by Nienke Deutz. A visually stunning tale of connection.
πΈπ Bloeistraat 11 Short Film (Flowering Street) (2018) by Nienke Deutz π³π±π§πͺβ¨
Watch the stunning visual poem, Bloeistraat 11 Short Film (Flowering Street) (2018). A breathtaking Animated shorts by Nienke Deutz exploring beauty & impermanence.
π Quick Facts
- Year: 2018 ποΈ
- Runtime: 9-10 minutes β±οΈ
- Countries: Netherlands, Belgium π³π±π§πͺ
- Language: No dialogue (wordless) π€
- Genre: 2D/Stop-Motion Hybrid Animation, Coming-of-Age π¨
- Director/Writer: Nienke Deutz π₯βοΈ
- Status: Cristal d’Annecy winner, 30+ awards π
Watch the Teaser:
Watch the Shorts:
π Synopsis
Bloeistraat 11 Short Film (2018); Inseparable best friends spend their last summer holiday of childhood amusing themselves around the house π . As summer progresses, their bodies start to morph and shift πΈβ‘οΈπΊβbreasts budding, hips widening, hair appearingβand an awkwardness descends on their friendship π³.
When one girl starts noticing her best friend’s older brother π¦, their bond faces its ultimate test. Puberty seems determined to interrupt their bond π. Bloeistraat 11 Short Film (2018); This is a children’s story for adultsβa tender, heartbreaking exploration of how female friendship evolves when childhood ends π§β‘οΈπ©. Discover the Best define Marple definition & meaning!
π Creative Team & Production
- Director/Writer/Editor: Nienke Deutz (Rotterdam-based; MA in Animation from KASK/School of Arts) π
- Production: Lunanime, Need Productions, Windmill Film, Beast Animation π¬
- Animation Technique: Revolutionary hybridβ2D characters printed on plastic sheets, hand-painted, then placed in stop-motion cardboard sets ππ¨
- Music: Frederik Van De Moortel π΅
- Sound Design: ValΓ¨ne Leroy (minimal, evocative) π
- Foley: Marie-Jeanne Wyckmans (“grandmother of Belgian foley”) π΅π
π Major Awards (30+ wins!)
- Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2018: Le Cristal d’Annecy β Best Short Film π₯β¨ (Animation’s highest honor!)
- Chicago International Film Festival 2018: Silver Hugo β Best Animated Short π
- Denver International Film Festival 2018: Best Animated Short ποΈ
- Ghent International Film Festival 2018: Prix UIP Ghent (European Short Film) π§πͺ
- Go Short International Short Film Festival Nijmegen 2019: Go Short Award β Best Animation π¬
- GLAS Animation Festival 2019: New Talent Award π
- Oberhausen International Short Film Festival 2019: ECFA Short Film Award π₯
- Manchester Animation Festival: Award winner π
- AFI Fest 2018: Nominated β Grand Jury Prize Animated Short πͺ
π¨ Visual Innovation
The film uses a groundbreaking technique:
- Hand-drawn 2D characters printed on transparent plastic sheets (12 frames per second!) π
- Hand-painted clothing on every individual plastic frame ππ¨
- Stop-motion photography in physical cardboard sets with acrylic paint and markers π π·
- “See-through” aesthetic: Characters are translucent, symbolizing the fragility of their bond π»π
- Tactile quality: You can almost feel the plastic and cardboard π€²
π Key Themes
- Female puberty & body changes π©ΈπΈ
- The end of childhood innocence π§β‘οΈπ©
- Friendship under pressure ππ
- Awakening sexuality (noticing the older brother) π
- Nostalgia & loss π’
- The transparency of emotions (literalized through plastic!) π«₯
π₯ Critical Reception
- “A masterpiece and a superb example of what could be achieved when an ordinary, though undeniably compelling, story is told in an extraordinary way” β Short of the Week
- “Full of heart, hurt and a sprinkle of magic. And isn’t that what childhood is all about?” β Short of the Week
- “The characters stop being just plastic cutouts and become just as alive as you and I” β Short of the Week
- “The shower scene, with the glistening water… the physical manifestation of the pleasure spreading inside their bodies when the girls touch” β Short of the Week
- “Beautiful , in profound sense, short animation film, giving , for long time to memory of viewer its images as a sort of fragrance” β IMDb user
- “Amazing – great writing and delivery of character, within painstakingly perfect animation” β IMDb user
π‘ Director’s Vision
Bloeistraat 11 Short Film (2018); Nienke Deutz wanted to explore how to make animated characters palpable while showing the technique and materials: “Finding the right balance between those elements was a challenge because in order to engage with characters and their story, you want to forget about the technique”
Bloeistraat 11 Short Film (2018); The film was inspired by her own experience: “I hated puberty… the gateway to adulthood also changed my relationship with my best friend forever”. Nienke Deutz is next short films, The Miracle.
πΊ Where to Watch
- Miyu Distribution: Official distributor π¬
- Vimeo: Available online π±
- Short of the Week: Featured with “making of” video
- Festival circuit: Still touring (Animafest Zagreb, etc.) πͺ
Bottom Line: Bloeistraat 11 Short Film (2018); This 9-minute masterpiece is a visually revolutionary, emotionally devastating portrait of female friendship ending as puberty begins. With its Cristal d’Annecy win and plastic-sheet animation technique, it’s not just a filmβit’s a tactile memory of childhood’s last summer that will stay with you like a fragrance πΈππβ¨