In essence, The Heron and the Crane is a humorous tale of amorous indecision and self-destruction. The heron and crane ‘will they won’t they’ and time passes. A collaboration with his wife, the artist Francesca Yarbusova and cameraman Alexander Zhukovsky, with whom he would go on to make Hedgehog in the Fog and Tale of Tales, this early film was the first real sounding of Norstein’s mature genius. Initially the screenplay was not approved by the studio administration but largely thanks to the support of famous animator Fyodor Khitruk, Norstein’s The Heron and the Crane, made into distribution. An absolute gem of the great animator’s work. And a spritely 10 minute watch.
Please note the screening link will be available from midday Tues 14 July to Tues 21 July 2020. This screening is a Film Feels Connected event. Please fill out this survey after watching. Thank you for your time.
Yuri Norstein
Director
Yuri Norstein is a Russian animator. He was born in 1941 in Penza Oblast and raised in Moscow. He is best known for his animation shorts. The most loved and famous of these is Hedgehog in the Fog, which is considered a classic in Russia and a favourite of adults and children around the world. Critics have lauded another of his films, Tale of Tales (1978) as one of the greatest animations ever made. Known to be a perfectionist, who is entirely uncompromising on quality, he has earned the title, ‘The Golden Snail’. Norstein has been working on an adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s Overcoat since 1981. With a distinctive style which departs from the typical lines and colours of animation, his films are masterful and full of depth. Norstein uses imagery and the unique abilities of animations to delve into the subconscious and cultural memory.
Klassiki programming is supported by funds from the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) which is made possible by the National Lottery. Klassiki screenings are also part of Film FeelsConnected, a UK-wide cinema season, supported by the National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network. You can explore all films and events at filmfeels.co.uk #BFIFAN #ThanksToYou #TNLUK #FilmFeels #FilmFeelsConnected
