Russian animator Yuri Norstein remains one of the legends of contemporary animation, with his films captivating children and adults alike. Music Box is proud to present a selection of these films for two special screenings as a part of our ongoing Indoor Kids film series.
One of the legends of contemporary animation, Yuri Norstein made his name with a series of animated shorts he directed for family audiences in the 1970s that are notable for their almost Chekhovian, tragicomic mood.
CHILDREN AND MATCHES (DETI I SPICHKI) - 1969, 5 min. Norstein’s rarely-seen educational short about the dangers of matches, from ancient times up to today.
SEASONS (VREMENA GODA) - 1969, 9 min. A man and woman ride through the forest while the seasons change around them in this lovely, elegiac short set to music by Tchaikovsky.
THE BATTLE OF KERZHENETS (SECHA PRI KERZHENTSE) - 1971, 10 min., co-dir. Ivan Ivanov-Vano. Arguably Norstein's first great animated film, inspired by the legend of the City of Kitezh which disappeared into a lake to avoid Mongol invaders.
THE FOX & THE HARE (LISA I ZAYATS) – 1973, 12 min. Norstein’s utterly charming short about a temperamental "house-filching fox" who boots a poor rabbit out of its home. The rabbit turns to a wolf, bear, bull and rooster for help, with surprising results.
THE HERON & THE CRANE (TSAPLYA I ZHURAVL) - 1974, 10 min. An awkward crane and a high-spirited heron go back and forth on marrying each other, in this heartbreaking short about romantic misunderstandings.
HEDGEHOG IN THE FOG (YOZHIK V TUMANE) – 1975, 11 min. The deceptively epic journey of the tiny hedgehog, filled with impossible marvels and dangers: a shimmering white horse and a crafty owl. A fluttering bat, a falling leaf and the ever-present curtain of fog. Widely considered one of the greatest animated films ever made.
THE TALE OF TALES (SKAZKA SKAZOK) – 1979, 29 min. Norstein's longest film to date, TALE is a story about stories, a dream of many dreams. A giant bull and a little girl skip rope. Couples dance under a streetlight until the male partners disappear, headed off to war. And through it all, the Little Grey Wolf watches silently at the rondo of human loves and losses.
Music Box Theatre screens films of all genres and from every era of cinema, both new releases and repertory. These films may sometimes contain upsetting, outdated, or offensive material. While we aim to introduce many of our screenings, we do not always provide warnings about potentially triggering content within the films we screen. We encourage our patrons to research the film before they attend using trailers, reviews, or content information found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com.
Also Part Of Indoor Kids: Family-Friendly Matinees
