Animated film about Polish war hero bear Wojtek gets go-ahead
The production of a new animated special which tells the tale of a polish war hero bear who went to live out his days at Edinburgh Zoo has been given the green light.
Written by Wojciech Lepianka (My Father’s Bike, 2012) and directed by Iain Gardner (The Tannery, 2010), A Bear Named Wojtek tells of the journey of the orphaned Syrian brown bear Wojtek, brought to Scotland having been previously adopted by Polish soldiers during the Second World War.
Throughout the animated special, he becomes a beacon of hope and an emblem of their fate.
The film has secured the UK voice talents of Bill Paterson (Miss Potter, Truly Madly Deeply), Shauna Macdonald (The Descent, Filth), Piotr
Baumann (Eastenders, Coronation Street) and Tomek Borkowy (Doctor Who, Dom), and Marcin Dorocinski (Queen’s Gambit) for the Polish language version.
Multi-oscar-winning composer Normand Roger (Father and Daughter, The Man Who Planted Trees, The Old Man And The Sea) has agreed to compose and score the music for A Bear Named Wojtek.
The news comes as Filmograf and The Illuminated Film Company have closed on the finance deal of the animated special.
The production is a Polish/ UK co-production between the two companies, with production finance from the Polish Film Institute, Screen Scotland, the UK Government supported Young Audience Content Fund, which is managed by the BFI, with TV Poland and BBC ALBA (with funding from
MG ALBA) the commissioning broadcasters.
As part of the finance deal, Illuminated Films has agreed a deal for the international distribution of the animated special. The production is expected to be completed in autumn 2022.
The film is being made using computer-assisted animation, compositing and special effects software TV Paint, which will create the look and style the director is after.
Wojtek, who fought in the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944, was known as a gentle bear who cuddled his friends and occasionally would drink beer and smoke cigarettes. His comrade-in-arms, 94-yearold Ludwik Jaszczur, recently closed his leather goods shop in Edinburgh after announcing his retirement.