Rob Munday
Sexuality and animation have become an increasingly intertwined pairing in recent years, with the medium’s limitless creative potential offering bold and imaginative ways to explore themes of lust and desire. We’re far from the first to note the appeal of this combination – Ben Mitchell and Laura-Beth Cowley even dedicated a podcast to the subject, later expanding it into a book. Their very first interviewee of that series was Michaela Pavlátová, a multi-award-winning Czech filmmaker who, remarkably, we’ve never featured on S/W until today.
It’s Pavlátová’s 2012 Annecy-award-winner Tram – an energetic portrait of a lustful tram driver whose vivid fantasies threaten to overtake her – that’s the focus of our attention today. Originally commissioned by Sacrebleu Productions for a collection of short films about female erotic fantasies, the short follows its voluptuous protagonist on her daily route, propelled by Petr Marek’s bouncy score. As the journey unfolds, we’re thrust into her fantastical headspace as each bounce of her vehicle, punch of a ticket and pull of a lever becomes ever more charged with playful, unrestrained desire.
A lonely conductor loses herself to her fantasies in Michaela Pavlátová’s Tram
In an interview with Skwigly, Pavlátová describes her short Tram as “rhythmical and funny,” admitting she had almost forgotten its sexual nature – until audience reactions reminded her. “All the reactions were great at the beginning,” she recalls, noting that the film premiered in France at Annecy before going on to win numerous awards. But after this initial festival success, questions and complaints began to surface about its sexual content. One particularly memorable moment came during a screening for her daughter and friends:
“I was in a separate room listening in; I knew the reactions to the film, what part they were at, but there was silence. When they were leaving the room, they were all trying not to look at me. My daughter explained it was difficult for them as I seemed to be ridiculing something they took seriously.”
Thirteen years on, Tram hasn’t lost any of its punch. While its sexual nature is impossible to overlook, the real takeaway is just how unapologetically playful it remains. Pavlátová has said her goal was “to create something funny more than erotic,” and whether or not she struck the perfect balance is up for debate – but it’s hard to deny the film delivers both in abundance.