Prologue is a 2015 British animated short film written and directed by Richard Williams and produced by Imogen Sutton. It was the final film directed by Williams before his death in August 2019.[1]
| Prologue | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Richard Williams |
| Written by | Richard Williams |
| Produced by | Imogen Sutton |
Release date |
|
Running time | 6 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Summary
editIt was to be the first part of a planned feature film based on the play Lysistrata by Aristophanes, in which Greek women withhold sexual privilege from their husbands and lovers in order to end a war. The short film depicts the gruesome combat between ancient Greek soldiers, resulting in the death of every combatant and the reveal that the entire skirmish was witnessed by a little girl, who runs off to the comfort of an older woman.
Development
editPrologue is the first six minutes of Richard Williams' then-planned hand-drawn feature film Lysistrata, based on the ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, which Williams joked should be sub-titled "Will I Live to Finish It?".[2] Williams described Prologue as "the only thing so far in my career that I've ever really been pleased with."[3] In 2013 Williams told The Guardian, "All I need is some time and five or six assistants who can draw like hell." The film was intended to be "grim but funny and salacious and sexy".[2] Like his version of The Thief and the Cobbler, Prologue would never be completed. But, as Williams put it: "it's the doing of it that matters. Do it for the love of it. That's all there is".[4]
Reception
editThe film was a critical success and gained many awards and nominations, including an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short Film.[5][6]
Awards
edit- 2016: Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film – Nominated (lost to Bear Story)[7][8]
- 2016: BAFTA Award for Best Short Animation – Nominated
Follow up
editLysistrata, a six-minute short, is set to be previewed at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June.[9]
References
edit- ↑ Amidi, Amid (15 January 2015). "Interview: Richard Williams Talks About His Oscar and BAFTA-Nominated Short 'Prologue'". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- 1 2 "Obituary at The Guardian". The Guardian. 20 August 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ "Obituary of Richard Williams at the NY Times". New York Times. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ Obituary, The Week, 6 September 2019, page 35
- ↑ Coggan, Devan (13 January 2016). "John Krasinski, Guillermo del Toro, Ang Lee to announce Oscar nominations". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ↑ Ford, Rebecca (14 January 2016). "Oscar Nominations: The Complete List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
- ↑ Amidi, Amid (14 January 2015). "2016 Oscar Nominations: Animation Analysis". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
- ↑ "Bear Story" winning Best Animated Short Film -Oscars on YouTube
- ↑ Giraud, Kevin (2 April 2026). "New 'Batman', 'Looney Tunes', 'Ghost in the Shell' Titles to Be Unveiled at Annecy". Variety. Retrieved 8 May 2026.