Boxballet is a hand-drawn animated short film directed by Anton Dyakov and was produced by the CTB Film Company. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 94th Academy Awards.
It talks about the unusual relationship between a ballerina and a boxer.
You might find it weird that their meeting is a contradiction of everything—their life, routine, and even their philosophies.
What are the odds when two incongruent harmonicas meet at a specific time?
Boxballet was set in early 1990s Russia during the dissolution of the Soviet Union, a critical turning point in the country’s history. One day, a graceful ballerina named Olya meets the surly boxer, Evgeny, unexpectedly. They developed feelings for each other, but given the enormous hole between their backgrounds, the question becomes whether love can truly bring them together.
In one interview, Director Anton Dyakov said that the time of realization in ballet and boxing is very fleeting. “A fight in the ring or a performance on a stage is just the tip of the iceberg, and we can only guess about the true price that people pay in the spotlight for the opportunity to be on this stage or ring.” Dyavov added.
It’s a turning point for people to realize that their perception of beauty only relies on the result where they can’t even see the journey. People’s destinies aren’t always successful and people can live with both their pain and aspirations—and this film is just the perfect example of that.
Dyakov made it clear that this film is film about attraction in the process of development. Though born and raised in very different backgrounds and patterns, he made sure that the characters are very similar— the only difference is the external part.
In animating this film, Dyakov spent a tiny amount of time in drawing his subjects and the scenes. He mentioned that the crucial part relies on the shading, toning, and the incorporation of colors. He had a great help and did the animation at Melnitsa Animation Studio, which according to him, has extensive resources for producing hand-drawn animation in the academic style.
Boxballet is indeed a story of contrast—but contrasts are good because characters meet in the middle. When times are tough, when struggles arise, same insights coexist. They both faced the harsh realities of their profession, contemplated about life itself and sure formed a bond that lasted. With the current hostilities in that region, the meaning of the film has gained an urgent and new poignancy.
