Co Hoedeman, a former animator and filmmaker for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), died on May 26 in Montreal at the age of 84 following health complications, the NFB told Playback Daily.

Born in Amsterdam on Aug. 1, 1940, the Canadian filmmaker (pictured) was known for his skill in stop-motion animation, directing the 1977 Oscar-winning The Sand Castle. The 13-minute animation, which won for Best Animated Short Film, follows the sandman and the creatures he creates out of sand.

“Co Hoedeman was a master animator, whose long career at the NFB was distinguished by innovative filmmaking and powerful humanitarian themes,” said Suzanne Guèvremont, government film commissioner and NFB chairperson, in a statement. “He cared deeply for the well-being of children and was also a fierce defender of the importance of public filmmaking. The NFB and the Canadian animation community have lost a dear friend and colleague. Fortunately for us, we have his legacy of beloved works, which embody so much of his unique spirit.”

Hoedeman’s earlier NFB projects include 1969’s Oddball, produced by René Jodoin. He went on to study puppetry in Czechoslovakia, later returning to the NFB and creating projects like 1972’s BAFTA-winning Tchou-tchou, whose characters are all represented by colourful wooden blocks.

Hoedeman was also the subject of a 1980 NFB documentary from Nico Crama, coproduced with Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. The film, Co Hoedeman, Animator, showcased how Hoedeman divided his time between his family, farm and studio, with an emphasis on his work as an animator.

Hoedeman marked his final film with the NFB in 2004 with Marianne’s Theatre, after which he moved to an independent animation career, later collaborating with the NFB for 2011’s 55 Socks. The film draws on Hoedeman’s early memories and pays homage to Dutch ingenuity during the Hunger Winter in 1944-45 in which Germany embargoed inland shipments, including food, in the Netherlands.

The Cinémathèque québécoise and the NFB paid tribute to Hoedeman and his contributions to Quebec cinema in 2003 with the exhibition “Exposition Co Hoedeman – Les Jardins de l’enfance,” presented the following year at the Musée-Château d’Annecy in France.

Image courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada