ETERNAL HUNTING GROUNDS (2016) is an animated short film directed by Elin Grimstad. The film was produced at the traditional puppet film studio Nukufilm in Tallinn, Estonia. The film was shot on a multiplane animation table, with 5-10 layers of glass planes set at different heights. The technique used was stop-motion animation using cut-out and replacement techniques. The puppets and props are placed horizontally on the glass. A camera is suspended over the table, aimed down at work. Eternal Hunting Grounds is a Norwegian/ Estonian co-production financed by The Norwegian Film Institute and The Estonian Film Institute.
Elin: The film is a fairy-tale based on a true story from my childhood. My best friend and I had a secret burial ground for dead animals we found in nature. The animals, when buried by us, would come to life again in animal paradise, "Eternal Hunting Grounds". The story's visual world, flora and fauna is inspired by the nature on Giske island, in north-western Norway.
The film recently won The Golden Taube award 2016 for Best Animated Short at DOK Leipzig - International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film.