Twenty years ago, I was deep in the woods—creatively speaking—making a film with the brilliant David Shrigley. The film was Who I Am and What I Want, a black-and-white animated short about Pete, a misfit who rejects society and chooses to live alone in the forest. Commissioned by Channel 4 and Animate Projects, the film struck a chord. It quickly gained momentum, scooping up awards and screening at festivals around the world.
We made it in the wonderfully chaotic Slinky Pictures studio on Brick Lane. At the time, producer Maria Manton (Slinky’s co-founder and all-round legend) and I were juggling two short films simultaneously. It was bonkers—but the good kind of bonkers.
Fast forward to 2010, when Slinky closed its doors. That’s when we discovered the original 2K master files had vanished. Every 35mm print we had was scratched, and all we were left with was a tiny PAL FH master—basically a techy TV format that didn’t do the film justice.
So, for this special anniversary screening, we decided to give Pete a bit of a birthday makeover. Huge thanks to John Taylor and Gary Brown, who helped us remaster the picture. You can see the difference in this side-by-side comparison. New at the top. Old at the bottom.
Even more exciting—we reopened the original Flash files. Yes, 20 years later! And thanks to Barnaby Templer at Fonic, who miraculously still had the original 5.1 sound master, we’ve reinstated the full surround sound experience.
The result? A freshly polished version of Who I Am and What I Want, ready for its big-screen return.
Join us for the screening on 4th November at Bar Shorts, Garden Cinema.
Happy 20th, Pete. You’ve aged beautifully.
