Borge Ring (1921-2018)

So I had just found out about the passing of Borge Ring, the legendary Danish animator who was nominated for an Oscar for his 1978 film Oh My Darling..., and who won the coveted trophy seven years later for his masterful film Anna & Bella (although the Oscar itself was claimed by producer Cilia van Dijk. He was 97 years old. I suppose it's not entirely sad when a man lives to be 97. He's lived a full life and had numerous accomplishments that are completely separate from winning an Academy Award. It is still a time for mourning, especially for a man who made two of my favorite films that had ever been nominated in this category.


Borge Ring's films are noted for the fluidity of his style as well as its precise juxtaposition to its musical score. This makes sense considering Borge Ring is also a proficient jazz musician. He was born to a musical family and played in a band around the same time he got into animation as a volunteer animator. He eventually opened his own studio where he made animated commercials before moving to the Netherlands and working in another studio. Besides making short films he also contributed with animation for other works including It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Heavy Metal and We're Back! A Dinosaur Story. He was also a comic book artist having drawn comics for the Dutch magazine Sjors. He made only one more film after Anna & Bella, a somewhat-depressing film about drug use called Run of the Mill


Anyways, here's his two Oscar nominated films, and the moment Anna & Bella won the Oscar.


Oh My Darling...



Anna & Bella



Anna & Bella winning the Oscar