Treasures of Soviet Animation Vol. 3 Set for Blu-ray Release from Deaf Crocodile
Deaf Crocodile will release Treasures of Soviet Animation Vol. 3 - The Short Films of Yuri Norstein. The set collects a run of shorts from the Soyuzmultfilm vaults in their first U.S. Blu-ray appearance, co-presented with Seagull Films. This limited edition is capped at 3,000 units and is scheduled to arrive in late December or January.
Description
Treasures of Soviet Animation Vol. 3 - The Short Films of Yuri Norstein focuses on the work of Yuri Norstein, born in 1941. The set continues Deaf Crocodile’s series of restorations sourced from the archives of Soyuzmultfilm studio. The volume includes Norstein’s shorts from the late 1960s through the late 1970s. All films have been restored by Deaf Crocodile and are presented in Russian with English subtitles.
Films in the set
The 25th, The First Day (25-e - Pervyy den)
1968, 9 minutes, co-directed by Arkadiy Tyurin.
Norstein's first film is a visually striking tribute to the Bolshevik Revolution on October 25th.
Seasons (Vremena goda)
1969, 9 minutes.
A man and woman ride through the forest while the seasons change around them in this lovely, elegiac short set to music by Tchaikovsky.
Children and Matches (Deti i spichki)
1969, 5 minutes.
Norstein’s rarely-seen educational short about the dangers of matches, from ancient times up to today.
The Battle of Kerzhenets (Secha pri Kerzhentse)
1971, 10 minutes, co-directed by 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 minutes.
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 minutes.
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 minutes.
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.
A Day Before Our Era (Za den do nashey ery)
1977, 6 minutes, co-directed by Fyodor Khitruk.
This experimental collage of images of the French Revolution was apparently abandoned before it was finished, and remains one of Norstein’s rarest films.
The Tale of Tales (Skazka skazok)
1979, 29 minutes.
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.
Special features on Treasures of Soviet Animation Vol. 3
Special features include:
Yuri Norstein: Making The Overcoat (2019, Stage Russia, 109 minutes, directed by Ryo Saitani). A documentary filmed in Norstein’s studio during his work on an adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s The Overcoat. Approximately 25 minutes of animation were completed before the project stalled.
New commentary tracks by film scholar Michael Brooke.
A new visual essay by film historian Evan Chester.
New artwork by Beth Morris.
Blu-ray authoring by David Mackenzie of Fidelity In Motion.
Deluxe limited edition packaging and booklet
The limited edition includes:
- A slipcase with new artwork by Haleigh Buck
- A 60-page illustrated book
- New essays by Jenny Barker, John Adkins and Walter Chaw
Treasures of Soviet Animation Vol. 3 - The Short Films of Yuri Norstein is available to order from deafcrocodile.com.
Also available for pre-order from Deaf Crocodile is 3x Teuvo Tulio, a three disc Blu-ray box set, spotlighting three films from the Finnish director.
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