# animate! › Films › The Old Fools by Ruth Lingford › all › synopses › direction & collaboration › full production credits › film stills › tools & processes › format & distribution › background material Canonical: https://animate.org.uk/films/oldfools/all Discovery terms: 2000s animation, hand-drawn animation, animated typography, live action and animation, ageing, death, parents, poetry film, filmmaker, animator The following is the archived page text; discovery terms above are separately sourced metadata. Archive status: restored in 2026; historical calls, deadlines and services are closed. --- **The Old Fools** a film by Ruth Lingford 2002, 5 min 37 sec ![The Old Fools, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/oldfools07.jpg) skull ### animate! synopsis A clear-eyed look at the inevitability of our demise based on Philp Larkin’s poem of the same name, voiced by Bob Geldof. ### short synopsis A clear-eyed look at the inevitability of our own decay and death. With some humour and visual seduction, the film uses images that are visceral, abrasive and sometimes quite beautiful, hinting at the consequences of our society’s denial of death. ### long synopsis **The Old Fools** directed by Ruth Lingford is based on the poem of the same name by Philip Larkin. Written when the poet’s mother was in a nursing home. Like the poem, the film explores the ambivalent feelings of tenderness and disgust, compassion and terror evoked by countenancing the decay and death of a loved parent. It offers a clear-eyed look at the inevitability of our demise. The film presents a clear-eyed look at the inevitability of our own decay and death, with some humour and visual seduction. Using images that are visceral, abrasive and sometimes quite beautiful, the film hints at the consequences of our society’s denial of death. Techniques include DV footage, drawings and typography digitally animated, using Painter and After Effects. ### key credits **director** Ruth Lingford **animator** Ruth Lingford **editor** Jo Ann Kaplan **sound designer** Phillipe Ciompi **producer** Jane Colling ### Ruth Lingford #### short biography Ruth graduated in animation from the Royal College of Art. Since then, she has directed multi-award winning films for Channel 4 and is currently tutor on MA animation courses at the Royal College of Art and the National Film & Television School. She collaborated with Shynola on the music video **An Eye for an Eye** for UNKLE, which won the McLaren Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2002. October 2002 ### animate! films by this artist [The Old Fools](https://animate.org.uk/films/oldfools/) [What She Wants](https://animate.org.uk/films/whatshewants/) ### a film by Ruth Lingford ### direction **director** Ruth Lingford ### based upon **actual credit** based upon **title of original material** The Old Fools **author** Phillip Larkin **type of adapted source material** poem **copyright** © Philip Larkin ### image personnel **animator** Ruth Lingford **editor** Jo Ann Kaplan ### sound personnel **sound designer** Phillipe Ciompi ### production personnel **producer** Jane Colling © Ruth Lingford 2002 [![The Old Fools, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/oldfools01.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/oldfools01.jpg) k01 - *click on image for full size still* [![The Old Fools, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/oldfools02.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/oldfools02.jpg) wp1 - *click on image for full size still* [![The Old Fools, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/oldfools03.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/oldfools03.jpg) wp2 - *click on image for full size still* [![The Old Fools, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/oldfools04.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/oldfools04.jpg) soldiers - *click on image for full size still* [![The Old Fools, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/oldfools05.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/oldfools05.jpg) icon01 - *click on image for full size still* [![The Old Fools, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/oldfools06.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/oldfools06.jpg) box - *click on image for full size still* [![The Old Fools, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/oldfools07.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/oldfools07.jpg) skull - *click on image for full size still* [![The Old Fools, still: skin crack](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/oldfools08.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/oldfools08.jpg) skin crack - *click on image for full size still* [![The Old Fools, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/oldfools09.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/oldfools09.jpg) wr1 - *click on image for full size still* [![The Old Fools, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/oldfools10.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/oldfools10.jpg) gl - *click on image for full size still* [![The Old Fools, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/oldfools11.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/oldfools11.jpg) gr - *click on image for full size still* [![The Old Fools, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/oldfools12.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/oldfools12.jpg) wr2 - *click on image for full size still* ### technical #### process summary DV footage is combined with drawn animation using Painter and After Effects. ### master copy format **format** DigiBeta **colour or black & white** colour ### video distribution format **video format** DigiBeta **screen aspect ratio** 16:9 **video standard** PAL **sound type** stereo ### distributor LUX [info@lux.org.uk](mailto:info@lux.org.uk) +44 (0)20 7503 3980 [www.lux.org.uk](http://www.lux.org.uk/) **The Old Fools** film, stills and other materials © Ruth Lingford 2002