November 2014, Farewell party after 2 years teaching at School of Art, Design and Media, Nanyang Technological University – Singapore (foto: Christine Veras)
Written by Christine Veras for ASIFA.NET
December 16, 2021
The world of animation mourns the sudden passing of the animation historian Giannalberto Bendazzi on Monday, December 13, 2021. Born in Ravenna, Italy, in 1946, he grew up in Milan and graduated in Law, but has never practiced it. Passionate for writing, he was trained as a journalist and interviewed filmmakers and movie stars, initially focusing on film history and critique before dedicating his life to animation history.
Animation at that time (the late 1970s and early 1980s) was in many ways uncharted waters for historians and critics alike, considered by many as children’s media. Nevertheless, Bendazzi saw the potential of animation as it was not bound to reality, and it could embrace the imaginary worlds of its authors. He then started corresponding with animators, asking about their films, their processes, and techniques, developing friendships along the way. Through this first-hand approach, Bendazzi interviewed, collected documents and information directly from the sources, and saved and later shared exclusive information through his publications. Among the animators whose work he followed intimately and with whom he became close friends are Alexandre Alexeieff and Bruno Bozzetto.
His book Cartoons: One Hundred Years of Animation was published in 1994 as an arduous effort to narrow the knowledge gap on the subject, becoming the reference for scholars and practitioners in the field. Through his many publications as a scholar, he expanded his outreach. Among them, a highlight is Animation: A World History (2016). He dedicated himself for seven yearsâfrom 2008 to 2015â to writing this collection of texts curated and edited by Bendazzi with contributors from all over the world. In this three-volume collection, he documented the animation production, investigating and reporting on it on a global scale. A monumental task that he pioneered. His work has opened up access and legitimized animation history in countries where not much was known about their production. That was the case of countries like Nepal, Palestine, Cyprus, Egypt, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Panama, to mention a few. As stepping stones for any historical research in the field of animation, Bendazzi’s work acknowledges that “animation isâperverselyâas important as it is underestimated and underinvestigated” (Bendazzi, 2016, Vol. 1, p.2).
In 2016, Bendazzi received the ASIFA Prize in a ceremony at the Animafest Zagreb, in recognition of his outstanding achievements in animation. His most recent project was the creation of a library on animated cinema from his vast and exclusive collection, making it available for researchers worldwide. According to his website, the collection has been transferred to Palazzo della Meridiana, in downtown Genoa (https://www.giannalbertobendazzi.com/).
It is the end of an era. But, history continues, and Bendazzi’s legacy will live on.
Giannalberto Bendazzi is survived by his daughter, Ilaria, with whom we share our condolences.
Many friends of Giannalberto, including animators, students, scholars and researchers of animation worldwide shared their thoughts, testimonies, and memories at the occasion of his passing:
I am very, very sad to hear that Giannalberto left usâŠ
Our great animation specialist for all over the world⊠Renzo and I had the honor to work together with him on Japanese animationâŠ
Giannalberto and his contribution will remain with us forever.
Please accept my sincere condolences.
Sayoko Kinoshita
It is very sad news that we lost one of our honored and beloved animation historian. Giannalberto Bendazzi was our friend and great master whose warm and kind heart would stay forever in our memory, and whose achievements would be engraved in the animation history.
In ASIFA, many of us would be mournful for the big loss…
Please extend my deep condolence to his family and friends.
Nelson Shin
âI had Giannalberto as professor and mentor during my doctoral degree at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. I learned a lot from him. I was always amazed by his international approach to animation, searching for animators and references in every corner of the planet, bringing their experience to light, making their animation known, their voices heard. Bendazzi helped shape animation history, elevating it as a serious and respected discipline. Today, I teach and research animation history, following his steps and honoring the importance of diversity and inclusion as he taught me. My greatest honor was to share a panel with him and Donald Crafton during the 2017 SAS Conference in Padova. If I only knew that would be the last time we would see each other in person, I would have hugged him once more, but I am glad we kept corresponding throughout these years. The memories of your joyful and kind personality will live on and warm up the hearts of those who had the pleasure to know you. The giant is gone. Your monumental effort and legacy will live on.
Thank you, maestro.â
Christine Veras
âI join in the condolences for our dear friend Giannalberto. He was such an important member of our community, as an animation historian, a founder of Society of Animation Studies, and a friend.
RIP, dear Mr. Bendazzi.â
Deanna Morse
âI just got this sad news from Italy and it is heartbreaking. He was a big specialist in animation, wonderful and warm man and Bordo’s and my good friend for decades. I cannot imagine that he left us.
This life became too cruel for all of us still living.
Our Gianni will stay with us forever through memories and his books.â
Vesna Dovnikovic
âIt is with a very heavy heart that I just received the news that the wonderful Giannalberto Bendazzi has passed away. We were lucky to have him as long as we did but his big, warm heart finally has given out.
There will be a very bright star in the sky tonight.â
Nancy Phelps
He wrote the textbook we used in class so that’s really sad news to hear. Such a contribution to the animation world.
Ginger Marisa Tontaveetong
TearsïŒ It is very sad to heard that Mr. Giannalberto Bendazzi Passed away, which is a great loss for ASIFA and world animation. In China, hundreds of thousands of Chinese animation students have learned about animation from his animation history book.
Not long ago, I was considering asking him about the research methods of animation ontology, and discussing significance of animation in today’s “VR, meta,… ” with him. Now all this discussion can only in the condolences and meditation.
In addition to mourning, we expect more people to inherit his cause, which is also our common cause!
I hope our efforts could take comfort Mr. Bendazzi in heaven
Johnchill Lee
My heart aches to hear the news of losing my Godfather Giannalberto Bendazzi!
He was like a second dad for me. A man I know for ages, even before I met him in person. As a student and researcher, his books on the history of animation were my most inspiring and accurate references.
Later, when I was helping him with the data about African and Arab animation for his book âAnimation, a World Historyâ, he told me:
“Your information is enough to be a book itself, make it and Iâll refer to it in my book”!
What the honor and altruism!
Upon his advice, I published my book âAnimation in Africaâ and he wrote for me two prefaces for the two editions (2013, 2021).
He taught me the dedication and passion for knowledge and the importance of accuracy in history. Not only me, but he taught all animation lovers and scholars around the world.
Goodbye, Giannalberto Bendazzi . We will cherish your memories forever
Mohamed Ghazala
How sad and how sorry I am to hear the news of this great man passing away. That this kind and lovely and learned man is gone. I can’t believe it. I have to cross his name from the list of my New Year messages.
I met him in Zagreb first and he was the one who came to me and offered his friendship. Then we had the chance and honour of having him as jury member of Tehran International Animation Festival. He asked me to take him to a tour round Iran after the festival and was so insisting on going to Isfahan first. I had the chance to be with him in a two weeks’ drive round Iranian historical cities with my then young son, and it was huge fun, and so much to learn, from his vast ocean of knowledge and experience.
At the time he was still able to manage a long trip like that, though with difficulty but no complaints.
Rest in Peace Professor Bendazzi. You have a lot of friends to remember you here in Iran, with fond memories and love.
Fatemeh Hosseini-Shakib
Yes very sad indeed. Condolences to his family and the animation world. The first to recognise that there was a glimmer of possibilities in the Caribbean regarding animation.
Camille Selvon Abrahams
One is Giannalberto Bendazzi.
May he rest in peace.
Thank you to him for his selfless contribution to the development and affirmation of the cartoon.
Berin TuzliÄ
“Even before meeting Giannalberto Bendazzi, I admired his towering presence in the animation community. Over thirty years ago, in Italy, I was watching as many videos as I could from the ASIFA archive in Turin, using the first edition of “Cartoons” as my guide. The book was literally my window to the history of animation worldwide. Ten years later, after a life changing move to the U.S., I was immersed in my own independent animation production, and hoping to meet the man behind the book. The opportunity arrived in 2004, when Giannalberto and I were sitting together as jury members at a film festival. I was struck by the easiness of our conversations; our point of views about creativity, art, Italy, people, and life were surprisingly aligned, and we became good friends right away. In the years that followed, he showed a relentless support for my work, and I’m debt with him for the trust, the words, the encouragement, and the tremendous help that I received from him. Giannalbertoâs brilliant intelligence, his passion for knowledge and discovery, his commitment to independent thinkers, artists, and animators, were unique. But this giant was also able to deliver a big smile, a contagious sense of humor, and the warmest, affectionate hug to whoever was lucky to cross his path. Thank you for everything you gave me, Giannalberto! I will miss you forever.”
Sandro del Rosario
Dear Giannalberto ! So sad, that you had to leave us too early. I enjoyed your humor, your playfullness, your critical mind, your over-the-top engagement for the benefits of the artists, your radical openness to speak out loud what you think – no matter which troubles might follow, – and I humbly feel related to you in all these points, so I highly regret, that you lost your health…
The only consolation is to see how you live on in the people you have inspired.
Thomas Renoldner
Giannalberto Bendazzi was a great friend, colleague, and inspiration. He was a wonderful, beautiful human being, a gracious and gentle giant, not only because of the size of his heart, but because of his intellect, vast knowledge, and infectious and influential enthusiasm for the art of animation. A brilliant and prolific author, he showed us the poetry of art in motion. He always gave credit to others and brought their work to his writing -as many as he could encounter- deeply understanding their creative ‘souls’ and putting into writing a record of it for all time, for others to be inspired by. His knowledge of the global history of the field was unmatched. I was fortunate to work with him in China and the USA, and later as Chair (head of school) at the School of Art, Design and Media (ADM) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. There he joined our faculty which for a time included Ishu Patel, Hans Bacher, Heitor Capuzzo, Biju Dhanapalan, Jerzy Kucia, Richard Loveless, Gerald OâGrady, Hans-Martin Rall, and other luminaries of art, media, design and animation. With them, he helped start our PhD program with animation as the very first concentration. His protĂ©ges Christine Veras and Cinzia Bottini were two of our incredible pioneering PhD students. It was a delightful, amazing, thrilling, and an unforgettable treasure, a gift of time from the universe, to have had him with us for those years. I was honored to be asked by Giannalberto to contribute several texts and a chapter to his 3 volume “tome”, as he called his “magnum opus.” Two years ago, I went to see him in Milan. Despite his illness he was still working as hard as humanly possible. It is with great sadness in my heart, that I write these words today, because he has tragically passed away. He will be remembered forever, for his generosity, kindness, and great heart and mind. Our tears will never cease, our hearts will always be broken. But Giannalberto will live forever in our minds and spirits and will continue to influence new generations of artists and scholars. In this way, he is immortal.
Dearest Giannalberto, thank you from the depths of my heart for all you have given us over so many years: so much joy, inspiration, knowledge, kindness, compassion, and love. You will live in our hearts forever.
Vibeke Sorensen, December 2021
With Giannalberto in Zagreb, us always happy there. Animafest meant: sharing days/nights at the cinema Europa with the international animation community, chatting and laughing during the breaks, relating at the Scanner Symposium, looking forward to hedonistic Animafest picnics in countryside, just outside Zagreb and these magic chocolate moments in front of the Josip KraĆĄ chocolate shop… You’ll be missed, my dear Gianni, you’ll be missed enormously. Love,
Andrijana Ruzic
The many happy faces of and around Giannalberto – we miss you so much !!!
Singapore, 2013: Bendazzi giving his comment to dictator Augusto Pinochet’s poster at the Exhibition âUtopian Constructions: In the Leaders Shadowsâ – demonstrating his critical mind, his political position, his sense of humor…(foto: Christine Veras)
