Showing @ Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 07 Feb @ 21:15

Max Andersson, Helena Ahonen / Germany/Sweden / 2012 / 76 mins

There can be few stranger accompaniments to a promotional book tour than the companion to authors of the darkly funny comic Bosnian Flat Dog, Max Andersson and Lars Sjunnesson; the preserved corpse of Marshal Tito. Documenting this expedition around the countries of the ex-Yugoslavia, the pair along with Helena Ahonen, interview local writers on their experiences of the devastating Yugoslav Wars.

Screenshots of the graphic-novel’s brooding style of illustration are mirrored in the barren landscapes driven through, dotted with abandoned architectural memories of a different time. Anecdotes shared give an idea to the ranging scale of experiences across nations; some light-hearted, others extremely pained. This strained atmosphere can be seen in artwork of those featured, most jarringly felt in the unnerving twitchiness of Andersson’s chaotic stop-motion animation, depicting segments of their journey.

Humour permeates the muggy melancholy – amused chuckles over a giant “spaceship” built in a mine – combined with a strong sense of resilience. Like Bonsian Flat Dog was Andersson and Sjunnesson’s way of dealing with their experiences, we’re shown how others have pulled positivity from the horrific – the man who carves shell casings. And while aesthetically repellent, amused reactions from encounters along the way (smiling border guards) provoked by the oddly fascinating model of the deceased leader, reflect how bleak associations with that shared era of history have been subverted.