"Tintin Et Moi"

I had the pleasure of watching an excellent documentary today on Tintin creator, Hergé, pen name for Georges Remi. Entitled "Tintin Et Moi", or Tintin and I, it highlights the potent socio-political underpinnings that gave Tintin's world such depth, and goes deep into the mind of Hergé, to reveal the personal and world events that led to the development of intrepid boy reporter Tintin, his dog Snowy (or Milou, depending on what country you're from), and the memorable cast of characters that followed.

The film itself is empowering and surprising but I was just as pleased and touched to see the quantity and variety of people that showed up. Playing at the Northwest Film Forum in Capitol Hill for a one day engagement, the age range of attendees and their knowledge of the world of Tintin was such a pleasure to eavesdrop on. 11 year old kids knowing every book and detail, elderly folks well into their 70's and 80's, smiling in wonder at how these kids, in the digital age of being inundated with images, enjoy the same magical tales they grew up with, almost a century old.

I'm still a little stunned and am processing all the information I've received on my favorite childhood comic (yeah it beats out Calvin and Hobbes). Here's some blurbs from other sources:

"TINTIN ET MOI draws on fourteen hours of interviews conducted in 1971 with Herge, who created the comic strip The Adventures of Tintin. The film examines the artist's signature graphic style, as well as the unparalleled popularity of the Tintin character and his fantastic adventures around the world." -NWFF

Incredibly in-depth FILM SYNOPSIS, from PBS P.O.V. (PBS aired "Tintin Et Moi" under their P.O.V. documentary series in 2006)

I will definitely write more soon; I'm trying to juggle the processing of the film in my mind and the incredible excitement I have for the 3D animated Steven Speilberg Tintin production coming in 2009.