Jennifer
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Author's posts
Apr 18 2024
Hayley Mills: Angelic Icon of the 60s and Beyond
Actress Hayley Mills was born on this day, April 18, 1946, in London, England. Her child acting career began with her debut performance in the 1959 crime drama Tiger Bay, for which she won the “BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer.” A year later she starred in the Disney classic Pollyanna (1960), and quickly became one of …
Apr 17 2024
Soviet Film Wednesday: Enchanted Desna
Enchanted Desna is a film that gives us insight into the mind of Aleksandr Dovzhenko as a child, growing up by the Desna river. Directed by Yuliya Solntseva, the film is an “autobiographical film story” by her husband, Aleksandr Dovzhenko. Both thought-provoking and beautiful, the film elicits memories and introspection from its viewers. For instance, …
Apr 10 2024
Soviet Film Wednesday: A Rainy Story
Inspired after seeing this on Soviet Visuals and Folklore Film Fest‘s #SovietFilmWednesday, this was the first Soviet film I shared a little over three years ago, and it is still one of my favorites. What can I say, I love rain and cats, and the illustrations are beautiful, so this seemed like the perfect starting place for …
Apr 03 2024
Soviet Film Wednesday: Thank You
Thank You (Spasibo, Спасибо) is a hand-drawn 1973 animation directed by Vladimir Tarasov, who is best known for his Soviet science fiction films Contact (1978), Contract (1985), and The Pass (1988). In Thank You, a group of polite children take a field trip to learn about airplanes. Click the “cc” icon for subtitles.
Mar 20 2024
Soviet Film Wednesday: The Cow
I recently posted an introduction to the beautiful work of Aleksandr Petrov, who creates animations using pastel oil paintings on glass to create wonderful, unique frames of soft, muted colors. Here is one of his early works, The Cow (Корова, Korova), made in 1989. In the story, a boy remembers how his family lost their …
Feb 28 2024
Soviet Film Wednesday: Fox and Rabbit
The 1973 animation Fox and Rabbit (Лиса и заяц) was Yuri Norstein’s debut as an exclusive director. In keeping with Norstein’s most beloved animation techniques, it is made with wonderful cut-outs and has that signature Norstein earthy feel, brimming with folksy forest animals and seasonal motifs. Based on a Russian folk tale, it is the …
Feb 21 2024
Soviet Film Wednesday: The Battle of Kerzhenets
Released on January 1, 1971, The Battle of Kerzhenets is based on the mythical underwater city of Kitezh. According to legend, the Russian town “Little Kitezh” was built on the Volga River in the early 13th century. The Mongols had been invading nearby territories during this time, and when they reached Kitezh they started to attack the …
Jan 31 2024
Soviet Film Wednesday: Bashō
“Bashō” was animated by Soviet-born artist Yuri Norstein (revered director of Seasons, Hedgehog in the Fog, and Tale of Tales) using cut-out animation. It is a segment of the film Winter Days (originally 冬の日 Fuyu no Hi), which is a collage of animated short films comprised of mostly Japanese pieces, directed by Kihachirō Kawamoto. Winter Days is based …
Jan 17 2024
Soviet Film Wednesday: The Mitten
While Rankin & Bass were celebrating wintertime with their charming 1960’s stop-motion animations for Americans, including the beloved Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Soviet animator and director Roman Kachanov was making his own adorable stop-motion films, including the celebrated Cheburashka children’s series consisting of Gena the Crocodile, Cheburashka, Shapoklyak and Cheburashka Goes to School. A prolific artist, Kachanov was also …
Dec 12 2023
The Enchanting Music and Generous Spirit of Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou
Born Yewubdar Gebru on December 12, 1923, Ethiopian pianist, composer, and nun Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou is known for her free-spirited piano playing of compositions where notes flit with ease up and down pentatonic (five-note) scales. Her playing is heartfelt and instinctive, skillfully moving around the keyboard without a hitch. The scales heard in much of her music are representative …
