On Tuesday, one of the most well-known Russian animators, Yuriy Norstein, marked his 70th anniversary. Though the Russian animation industry is going through dark times, the award-winning animator is still full of optimism and ideas for his new works.

      Yuriy Norstein is best known for his animated shorts, "Hedgehog in the Fog" and Tale of Tales. Since 1981 he has been working on a feature film called "The Overcoat" (Shinel), based on the short story by Nikolai Gogol of the same name. The date of the film's release is still unknown, but it is expected to be the most deep, complicated and solemn animation film, dedicated to Gothic St. Petersburg and the profoundness of a human's soul. The project has met numerous financial troubles and false starts, but Norshteyn has said that it currently has reliable funding from several sources, both from within and outside of Russia.

      For his works Norstein uses a special technique in his animation, involving multiple glass planes to give his animation a three-dimensional look. The camera is placed at the top looking down on a series of glass planes about a meter deep (one every 25–30 cm). The individual glass planes can move horizontally as well as toward and away from the camera (to give the effect of a character moving closer or further away).

      In 2003, at Laputah Animation Festival in Tokyo, 140 directors and critics from all over the world called "Hedgehog in the Fog" the first best film of all times and "Tale of Tales" - the second one. According to the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, "Tale of Tales" was called the best animational film for the whole animation's history. And it is very difficult to enumerate the full list of Norstein's awards.

      But the animator himself avoid fame the press's attention. He also refuses any commercial animation projects and earns his living by giving lessons and masterclasses.

      

Sources: Vesti.ru Wikipedia

      Related News: Creator of Hedgehog in the Fog Animates Japanese Poetry (25.04.2007)

      

Hedgehog in the Fog (with English subs)

      

      

Tale of Tales

      

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Author: Julia Alieva

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