GOCRITIC! Animafest Zagreb 2026
“It’s about the balance between how crazy and ugly the puppets look versus how innocent and sweet they are”
The filmmaker and the artist talk about bringing this Animafest-awarded film to life through handcrafted puppets and unsettling humour
Oslo-based animator Markus Tangre makes his short-film directorial debut with Ivar, a darkly humorous story about a middle-aged woman whose growing fixation on a strange smell coming from her husband prompts an increasingly unsettling question: should she leave him? We met Tangre and puppeteer David Bjørnstad at Zagreb’s KIC café during Animafest to discuss the film’s creation, its distinctive puppet aesthetic and the reasons behind the usage of the various animation techniques.
Following its world premiere at Sundance 2026, Ivar screened in the Grand Competition at Animafest Zagreb, where it received a Special Mention Award from jury member Nina Gantz.
