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Ode To Joy

An introduction to the life and work of Joy Batchelor on the hundredth anniversary of her birth.

Joy was a director, animator, producer and designer and one half of the Halas & Batchelor Cartoons Studio, which made the UK's first animated feature film, Animal Farm, in 1954. Although a crucial figure in British animation, she has for years been unfairly passed over for recognition.

This short film made in her honour seeks to redress that balance and to introduce Joy's work to a wider audience. The film was produced by her daughter, Vivien Halas.

  • Martin Pickles
    Director
    What Is Animation?, The Curtains Of Zagra, Remembering John Halas, Like Me, Only Better, The Time Travellers Of 1908, The Commuter, G.M.
  • Martin Pickles
    Writer
  • Vivien Halas
    Writer
  • Vivien Halas
    Producer
    Remembering John Halas
  • Zoe Wanamaker
    Narrator
  • Mike Wyeld
    Sound Recordist
  • Tom Lowe
    Sound Designer
    Like Me, Only Better, What Is Animation?
  • Tanera Dawkins
    Original Music
    Like Me, Only Better, What Is Animation?
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Animation, Women's Filmmaking
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 11, 2014
  • Production Budget:
    2,500 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Quicktime HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Cinecity Brighton Film Festival
    Brighton, UK
    December 6, 2014
  • Bradford Animation Festival
    Brighton, UK
    November 19, 2014
  • Hungarian Cultural Centre
    London, UK
    October 1, 2014
  • Spotlights at Whirlygig Cinema
    Hackney, London, UK
    August 6, 2014
  • CAKE at Edgehill University
    Ormskirk, UK
    July 16, 2014
  • Women In Animation Conference
    Poznan, Poland
    July 13, 2014
    Polish Premiere
  • London Animation Club
    Fitzrovia, London
    May 6, 2014
  • Birds’ Eye View Film Festival
    Barbican, London, UK
    April 13, 2014
    World Premiere, London Premiere, Festival Premiere
Director Biography - Martin Pickles

I grew up in North Yorkshire and studied Classics at Oxford before moving to London to go to art school. I now make animated and live-action experimental films for festival and gallery exhibition, whilst working as a commercial animator.

I met Vivien Halas in 2009, since when I have helped her record interviews with people who worked at her parents' animation studio Halas & Batchelor.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Ode To Joy was made to introduce screenings of films by Joy Batchelor in the centenary year of her birth and to coincide with the publication of the book "A Moving Image - Joy Batchelor 1914 -1991."

The film was produced by Joy's daughter Vivien and is our second collaboration. Vivien and I previously worked together on the film "Remembering John Halas" which was made for Vivien's father's centenary.