Fresh off an Academy Award win earlier this year for the stop-motion short The Girl Who Cried Pearls, the National Film Board of Canada returned to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival with another distinctly personal animated story. This time, however, the celebrated Canadian studio traded the aesthetics of fairy tales for those of heavy metal.
Written, directed and animated by Catherine LePage, Ultra Strong transforms the universal highs and lows of young love into a surreal, visually inventive coming-of-age journey. Inspired by LePage’s own experiences and drawing from the world of her graphic novels, the short follows a young woman searching for confidence in all the wrong places before discovering that true strength comes from within. Along the way, LePage fills the film with imaginative emotional landmarks from the Island of the Flakes to the Kind Heart Outlet and whimsical visual metaphors, including a wobbling mound of Jell-O that becomes an unlikely symbol of resilience.
Adding another unexpected layer is Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson, who lends his voice to the film after LePage and producer Christine Noël successfully convinced the rock icon to join what became a passion project. Far from a celebrity cameo, Dickinson serves as a larger-than-life guide whose infectious energy helps propel the heroine and reflects the confidence LePage herself hoped to capture through the story.
Here, Deadline spoke with LePage and Noël about turning personal experiences into animation, finding vulnerability through visual metaphor, bringing Dickinson into the fold and why Ultra Strong‘s message of self-worth and empowerment feels especially timely.
CATHERINE LEPAGE: It’s mostly based on my own experience, but I did add to it and make things bigger. It’s all based on personal experience.
DEADLINE: What was the tone or message you were trying to get across in this short? I love the idea of this map with the Island of the Flakes, the boring guys, and all of that. Then she ignores the Kind Heart Outlet.
LEPAGE: At first, I had a lot of things I wanted to put in the film, and it was hard for me to find one phrase or sentence to explain it because there is so much in it. I’m still having a hard time doing that. I think the main topic is trying to find your inner strength instead of trying to find it in others. Trying to rely on others for your security, both physical and emotional. Find that within yourself before searching for someone else.
DEADLINE: Was it difficult to mine those ideas and put them on the page?
LEPAGE: This project is special because it’s based on two books. The first was published in 2020, and I was working on the second when I started thinking about the film. I knew I wanted to take elements from both books, but there was so much material. It was hard to find the spine of the film. It took me a long time to put words to the feelings I had. I knew I wanted certain scenes and anecdotes, but I didn’t know why. I was putting together the pieces and trying to figure out what the film was really about. It came through the process of working on it.
DEADLINE: I want to talk about some of the motifs. You have this food tower. Is it a sundae or a bowl of Jell-O?
DEADLINE: Can you talk about that and the construction of the food tower?
LEPAGE: I love finding visual metaphors to express feelings. I was trying to find a strong way to show that what you’re doing isn’t good for you or goes against your own nature. I came up with the idea of a sweet dessert topped with salt-and-vinegar chips and mustard—something that’s obviously wrong. For me, it was a strong way to show that maybe you’re going in the wrong direction. It’s clearly not the right choice, but you do it anyway. At first, the Jell-O was also a way to express vulnerability, indecision and hesitation. What’s funny is that when everything falls apart, the Jell-O is the strongest thing because it can handle the earthquake. It shakes but remains intact. I don’t think people will necessarily get that when they see the film, but for me it was saying, “Look, your true nature works. You won’t fall apart.”
DEADLINE: Life is going to shake you up a little bit, but you can get through it.
DEADLINE: There’s a reference to Iron Maiden that’s the background of this short. And then to learn that you got Bruce Dickinson. Talk about that.
LEPAGE: I went through a heavy-metal phase when I was a teenager. I saw Iron Maiden live when I was 15, and the energy was absolutely amazing. A few years ago, I watched a documentary about heavy metal, and Bruce Dickinson said that when he performs, he wants every person in the room to feel like he’s talking to them personally. I thought, “Wow, what a performer.” He’s like a superhero, even with the tights and everything.
When I was trying to find the film, I knew I needed something to take Catherine out of her comfort zone. I was searching for the trigger that would push her beyond her usual boundaries. The idea came to me while I was running and listening to an Iron Maiden song. I always said I needed “the Bruce energy.” He’s like a coach. When he’s on stage, he wants to reach every fan. I also knew Christine [Noël] had gone through an Iron Maiden phase as a teenager, so I thought she’d love the idea which isn’t obvious. A lot of producers would have said, “No, that’s too complicated.” But she was the perfect partner for it.
DEADLINE: What would you like audiences to take away from this short film?
LEPAGE: Accept your vulnerability. For me, one important idea is that strength and vulnerability can go together. It’s not one or the other. Vulnerability doesn’t mean weakness. You can be strong and vulnerable at the same time. It’s funny because that wasn’t the main subject when I started the project, but now, with all the hyper-masculinity online and people saying men have to be strong and women should stay at home, it feels more relevant. It added a stronger feminist side to the film. I think it was always there, but now it’s more important than ever to tell girls that they can expect love in their lives and find a partner. But they shouldn’t expect that partner to solve everything or provide everything. Find your own strength first. Then you can love and be with whoever you want, while still respecting yourself.
NOËL: I’ve known Catherine for many years. I knew her work because she’s a graphic novelist. The National Film Board had previously made a film with her called The Great Malaise. At the time, I was head of the marketing department specializing in animation, and I really liked her signature style. Catherine has a way of taking personal experiences and expressing universal questions about being human, developing yourself, being yourself and taking control of your life. She had created two graphic novels. We actually grew up during the same era, so I related to the clothes, the questions and the way we behaved as teenagers.
When Catherine approached us with another project, I told her, “You need to bring this story to life.” She decided not to directly adapt the books but instead draw inspiration from the universe of both works. The film is really about how women are often taught to rely on someone else—a prince charming, a man—to solve their problems, when in reality they can take matters into their own hands. Sometimes vulnerability can be your greatest strength. I thought it was a positive message for young women, but also for young men.
DEADLINE: How did you bring Bruce Dickinson into this?
NOËL: Catherine and I are both Iron Maiden fans. She grew up in Quebec City, I grew up in Montreal, and we both went to Iron Maiden concerts as teenagers. She needed a character who could inspire her protagonist and help guide her. She thought Bruce Dickinson would be perfect. We knew he speaks both French and English, and I told her, “You’re Catherine LePage, we’re the NFB, I think he’ll say yes.” Bruce is a very curious artist. You can see that throughout his creative career. I felt he would be interested in Catherine’s artistic voice.
Through a series of connections, I eventually reached his agent, Dave Shack. We sent a creative package, including a personal letter from Katerine. She told him about attending an Iron Maiden concert in Quebec City and referenced something he’d said in a documentary: that when he’s on stage, he wants to reach the shy person all the way at the back of the stadium. She wrote that she had been that person, and that he would be the perfect character to help her animated counterpart develop confidence.
It became a passion project for him. The Iron Maiden team was incredible. Even though it was a small project for them, they were extremely supportive. Bruce was touring Canada two years ago, and we were able to record his voice in Quebec City. He also has a solo career and has written motivational books. I knew the themes of the film would connect with his interests.
DEADLINE: How long has the relationship with the NFB and Annecy been going?
NOËL: The NFB has been participating in Annecy almost since the festival’s earliest years. I’ve been with the NFB for 25 years, and when I worked on the Norman McLaren box set, I spent time researching archival material. I found photographs of Norman McLaren, Robert Verrall and other international filmmakers attending Annecy in the 1950s. The NFB and Annecy have really evolved together over the decades.
NOËL: At Annecy, we’ll be showcasing a work-in-progress feature called The Shiatsung Project, a co-production with Montreal-based company Embuscade. It’s the first feature from two young women filmmakers and is based on a graphic novel. This project represents something new for the NFB. Traditionally, we’ve focused on producing and distributing animated shorts because we’re one of the few cultural institutions in Canada supporting that format. As audiences continue asking for more animation, we’ve begun expanding into longer formats, including feature films.
We’re also producing a 30-minute Christmas special with two-time Oscar nominee Cordell Barker, best known for The Cat Came Back. We have a Canadian broadcaster attached and are currently looking at additional distribution opportunities. Annecy remains the central hub of the animation world. It’s where we connect with producers, artists and filmmakers from around the globe. The animation community is incredibly close-knit, and it’s always inspiring to reconnect with colleagues and discover new work.
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