This episode was originally published in August 2020. It was republished February 7, 2026, to coincide with its run at the Trylon as part of the "The Art of Insurgence: '80s Animated Sci-Fantasy" series. Since this episode aired, Sarah spun off the Cult Film Collective's video rental arm as its own entity titled Ant Hill Video.

Featuring special guest Sarah Seember Huisken – Minneapolis storyboard artist, and 25% of the Cult Film Collective!

There’s so much to love, to be joyful about, in SON OF THE WHITE MARE, including its recent long-awaited 4K restoration. Transplanting traditional Hungarian folklore for a 1981 audience in the name of nomadic peoples, this immaculately animated film communicates much more than its experimental trappings.

Rather than play a straight fairytale, SON OF THE WHITE MARE dodges the audience’s firm grasp of form with nearly every scene change, reflecting the convulsive Hungarian social state (its original release was sandwiched between a 1956 revolt and the country’s formal shrugging of Communist rule in 1989).

With Sarah, we discuss the movie’s use of form, humor, nature, sex, soft edges, semi-traditional gender politics, and imagery both modern and primal to elevate its “heroes slay the dragons” narrative into something worth treasuring.

Find Sarah on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/calzonewizard and online at https://sarahhuisken.com!

References:

Learn more about the Cult Film Collective at https://www.cultfilmcollective.org/
Check out Ant Hill Video, born from the Cult Film Collective, at https://cultfilmcollective.myturn.com/library/
"Son of The White Mare: Formalistic Creativity Bursting Through Repression" by Ed Dykhuizen for Perisphere, the Trylon blog

#TheArtofInsurgence80sAnimatedSciFantasy #DCP

Follow us on Twitter at @trylovepodcast, Bluesky at @trylovepodca.st, and email us at trylovepodcast@gmail.com to get in touch!

Show art by Emily Csuy. Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. Outro ambiance from SON OF THE WHITE MARE.