Céline Roustan
When thinking about the Circus in America, one can’t think of a better emblem than the elephant (granted the Disney influence is undeniable), but with the largest living land animal not native to the continent, how did it all begin? This is the question director Lynn Tomlinson answers in her epic animated short The Elephant’s Song, recounting the sad and true tale of Old Bet, the first circus elephant in America.
“I was touched by the lonely image of this elephant”
Based on a true story, director Tomlinson was moved when she first heard it and found herself inspired to research the life of Old Bet. “I was touched by the lonely image of this elephant, the only one of her kind, a social animal all alone in a strange land with no way to communicate her memories of her home”, she shared with us. With the research allowing Tomlinson to get a good understanding of not only Old Bet’s story, but also its historical context, she then developed the project with Sam Saper (who also happens to be her son), who wrote the lyrics for the song.
Tomlinson admits the decision to make the old Farm Dog the narrator was “key to the narrative”
Together they came up with the idea of having the “tired, worn-out old dog” as narrator, a decision they both agree is “key to the narrative”. He sure makes for an interesting narrator, adding a strange sense of authenticity to the storytelling, whilst also bringing an extra layer of complexity to the narrative through the complicated spot he finds himself in. Old Bet’s story is quite extraordinary in itself and in its cruelty, but with the dog acting as a witness, it makes the story more compelling and more compassionate as we get to see it from the perspective of a fellow animal.
Choosing to bring this story to life through an unusual lens, an animated musical, was certainly a gamble, but Tomlinson and Saper use this unexpected approach to captivate their audience and enhance just how fascinating the story is. Upon first watching The Elephant’s Song it’s hard not to get swept up by it all and lose yourself in the music, which in turn prompted me to instantly return for a second viewing, to catch more of the details within the narrative. Saper’s song – which draws inspiration from American folk, blues and spiritual musical traditions – not only sets a mood that complements the context of Old Bet’s story, the conflicting position of the dog and how he witnessed it all, its catchy tune is vital in giving the film its enthralling rhythm. The chorus allows a brief change of pace, presenting viewers with essential time to digest what has just happened, before moving on to the next part of the story, while also providing a wider picture of what was happening at that time.
“It’s a bit like finger painting” – Tomlinson on her clay-on-glass animation technique
With such a powerful story in place, Tomlinson had to choose an equally imposing aesthetic to bring it to screen and by cleverly mixing animation techniques throughout, she does just that. During the verse, when we are focused on Old Bet, she uses stop-motion techniques with modeling clay spread thinly on glass sheets, which she explains is a “bit like finger painting”. Describing the process as both “creative and destructive”, one can only imagine the intense labour that went into it, but the texture complements the story perfectly. During the chorus, when the focus is on the general context, she uses oil pastel on video prints to “preserve the reality of the reference images”, again reminding us that this is an incredible true story.
The Elephant’s Song premiered in 2018 at the Maryland Film Festival and went on to have a quite impressive festival run with a stop at the prestigious Annecy Animation Festival. Tomlinson recently completed a music video for Johnny Flynn and Robert Macfarlane’s Ten Degrees of Strange and, returning to an environmental and historical narrative, is in the early development stages of a project about American nature writer Rachel Carson.