Hedgehog In The Fog
Halloween is very nearly upon us. While it’s most often misrepresented by items such as this, I refuse to let commercial culture rob me of this treasured holiday’s mystery. ???? ? T??a?? (Hedgehog in the Fog), the eerie masterpiece of Russian animation featured in this post, could have easily been part of the “what made me weird” article – it affected me greatly as a kid, feeding my hungry chimera and igniting within my fevered brain the very spirit of adventure. I like to think this was the exact intended effect.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/dRsXU4Q6a0Q" width="400" height="330" wmode="transparent" /]
The story is simple: Hedgehog is on his way to pay his friend, the Bear Cub, a visit. They often meet for tea and count stars together. This time Hedgehog’s prepared a special raspberry jam for the occasion. Oh his walk he sees a strange white horse in the evening fog. The fog is so thick that Hedgehog wonders whether the horse would suffocate if it were to lie down in it. The beautiful animation drips with symbolism as the Hedgehog, driven by his curiosity, steps inside the fog and into another world. He’s lost and faced with fear, loneliness, hostility and eventual redemption.
Ever-present in my subconscious, Hedgehog In The Fog is a living dream, an embodiment of fascination with the great Unknown.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Such a shame that I, as an American, knew absolutely nothing of this before this post. We were truly cut off from ze world. Luckily, this can now be remedied. DANKE!
Also: http://jerem-morrow.livejournal.com/311631.html
October 30th, 2007 at 11:47 pm
Simply amazing.
October 31st, 2007 at 12:09 am
That was gorgeous.
October 31st, 2007 at 4:13 am
I love how things emerge from and fall back into the fog.
Thanks for sharing this video–it’s new to me.
October 31st, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Thank you for that link.
November 6th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Wow!
November 8th, 2007 at 9:36 am
Aw, Youri Norstein! I discovered him as a cinema student, since unfortunately Russian animation remains an initiated secret in France.
I know that Master of Animation dvd collection, there is a little Cheburaschka on it, right?
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:25 am
this is one of my favourite animation ever! In fact I love Yuri Norstein.
Truly wondrous stuff
I need to fall in to the densest, dreamiest fog now…
November 24th, 2011 at 12:03 am
Ah, beautiful. I don’t recognise any of them except Manali Pass and the pic doesn’t look right. I can’t think of anywhere along there that was forested like that (too high) with such a narrow fenced road and the house doesn’t look Indian. I was, however, stuck on that road during a snow storm, and i can attest to the magnificence of it. Most beautiful road that I have ever travelled on…