Magia Russica is an Israeli-Russian documentary film, written, directed and produced by Yonathan and Masha Zur (Yonathan & Masha Films). It depicts the untold story of Russian animation in Soviet times. The film, released in 2004, is Yonathan and Masha Zur's first film. Magia Russica premiered at the 2004 Haifa Film Festival, and since then has been screened at 45 film festivals, animation festivals, and documentary film festivals around the globe. It was also released on DVD in the US, Japan, France, and Israel. It was broadcast in 5 different countries.
Some of the most beautiful animations in cinema came out of Soviet Russia. Combining heartfelt moral allegory with astonishing craftsmanship, they had a power and sincerity to which much modern stuff pales. Drawing on masses of archive clips, including footage from rare classics, Magia Russica gathers surviving animators of the Soyuzmultfilm studio to give a passionate account of production under communist rule. A rich visual treat, this is also the story of the boundaries of art and ideology, and of men dedicated to magical cinema.
The film contains visits to studios and interviews with some of Russia's greatest past and current animators and animation filmmakers.
The title is in Latin, and it means “Russian Magic.” It is taken from one of the main characters’ (Fyodor Khitruk) reference to animation as a sort of magic or sorcery. The filmmakers chose a Latin title since their initial intention was to expose this art form to the world outside of Russia from an outsider's point of view.
The film took two years to complete. Since the initiative was completely independent, it had no sponsorship or funding from any broadcasters or funds. Yonathan and Masha Zur, who set out to film all the materials in four condensed weeks in Moscow and the surroundings in spring 2003, used the money they received as wedding presents a few months before the shooting. While shooting, Yonathan was the cameraman and the soundman, while Masha interviewed the participants. The only exception was the winter visuals of the film, which were shot by local Moscow cameraman Anton Michalev.
For a film made in an almost underground manner, Magia Russica was received warmly by different kinds of audiences around the world. It was chosen as a main program for the 2006 international ASIFA day. [1] The film was screened in 45 film festivals, animation festivals and documentary film festivals around the globe; released on DVD in the United States, Japan, France and Israel; and broadcast in different countries (8 Channel Israel, YLE Finland, Vouli Tileorasi - Greek Parliament TV, ETV Estonia, Canal+ Poland, Telewizja Polska - TVP Poland).
Ladislas Starevich was a Polish-Russian stop-motion animator notable as the author of the first puppet-animated film The Beautiful Leukanida (1912). He also used dead insects and other animals as protagonists of his films. Following the Russian Revolution, Starevich settled in France.
Yuri Borisovich Norstein is a Soviet and Russian animator 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, based on the short story by Nikolai Gogol of the same name. According to The Washington Post, "he is considered by many to be not just the best animator of his era, but the best of all time".
Aleksandr Konstantinovich Petrov is a Russian animator and animation director.
The history of Russian animation is the visual art form produced by Russian animation makers. As most of Russia's production of animation for cinema and television were created during Soviet times, it may also be referred to some extent as the history of Soviet animation. It remains a nearly unexplored field in film theory and history outside Russia.
Aleksandr Lukich Ptushko was a Soviet animation and fantasy film director, and a People's Artist of the USSR (1969). Ptushko is frequently referred to as "the Soviet Walt Disney," because of his prominent early role in animation in the Soviet Union, though a more accurate comparison would be to Willis H. O'Brien or Ray Harryhausen. Some critics, such as Tim Lucas and Alan Upchurch, have also compared Ptushko to Italian filmmaker Mario Bava, who made fantasy and horror films with similarities to Ptushko's work and made similarly innovative use of color cinematography and special effects. He began his film career as a director and animator of stop motion short films, and became a director of feature-length films combining live action, stop motion, creative special effects, and Russian mythology. Along the way he would be responsible for a number of firsts in Russian film history, and would make several extremely popular and internationally praised films full of visual flair and spectacle.
Soyuzmultfilm is a Russian animation studio, production, and distribution company based in Moscow. Launched on June 10, 1936 as the animated film production unit of the U.S.S.R.'s motion picture monopoly, GUKF, Soyuzmultfilm has produced more than 1,500 cartoons. Soyuzmultfilm specializes in the creation of animated TV series, feature films and short films. The studio has made animated films in a wide variety of genres and art techniques, including stop motion, hand-drawn, 2D and 3D techniques.
Fyodor Savelyevich Khitruk was a Soviet and Russian animator and animation director.
The cinema of Russia, popularly known as Mollywood, refers to the film industry in Russia, engaged in production of motion pictures in Russian language. The popular term Mollywood is a portmanteau of "Moscow" and "Hollywood".
The Nika Award is the main annual national film award in Russia, presented by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Science, and seen as the national equivalent of the Oscars.
Konstantin Eduardovich Bronzit is a Russian animator and animation film director nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. He currently works at one of the largest Russian animation studio — Melnitsa Animation Studio, as the art director and consultant.
Film, Film, Film is a 1968 Soviet satirical animated short film directed by Fyodor Khitruk.
The Story of a Crime is a 1962 Soviet animated Short film directed by Fyodor Khitruk and based on a screenplay by Michael Volpin. It was produced by Soyuzmultfilm. The score is by Andrey Babaev, with sound editing by George Martynuk.
Amos Oz: The Nature of Dreams is an Israeli documentary film, written, directed and produced by Yonathan and Masha Zur. It is a portrait of Israeli author Amos Oz, author of the memoir A Tale of Love and Darkness, and his efforts toward peace in the Middle East.
Winnie-the-Pooh is a 1969 Soviet animated film by Soyuzmultfilm directed by Fyodor Khitruk. The film is based on chapter one in the book series by A. A. Milne. It is the first part of a trilogy, along with two sequels: Winnie-the-Pooh Pays a Visit and Winnie-the-Pooh and a Busy Day.
Winnie-the-Pooh Pays a Visit is a 1971 animated film by Soyuzmultfilm directed by Fyodor Khitruk. The film is based on chapter two in the book series by A. A. Milne. It is the second part of a trilogy, following Winnie-the-Pooh (1969) and preceding Winnie-the-Pooh and a Busy Day (1972).
Winnie-the-Pooh and a Busy Day is a 1972 animated short film by Soyuzmultfilm, directed by Fyodor Khitruk and Gennady Sokolsky. Based on the book series by A. A. Milne, it is the final part of a trilogy, following Winnie-the-Pooh (1969) and Winnie-the-Pooh Pays a Visit (1971). Twice longer than either of its predecessors, this installment is co-written by Khitruk and Boris Zakhoder, with prototype drawings created by Khitruk and Vladimir Zuikov.
Eduard Vasilievich Nazarov was a Soviet and Russian animator, screenwriter, voice actor, book illustrator and educator, artistic director at the Pilot Studio (2007–2016), vice-president of ASIFA (1987–1999) and a co-president of the KROK International Animated Films Festival. He was awarded People's Artist of Russia in 2012.
Operation Wedding is a documentary film about the Dymshits–Kuznetsov hijacking affair, an escape attempt from the Soviet Union by a group of young Soviet, mostly Jewish, who were denied exit visas. The documentary is told from a personal point of view of the filmmaker, Anat Zalmanson-Kuznetsov, daughter of group members: Eduard Kuznetsov and Sylva Zalmanson.
Oksana Cherkasova - Soviet and Russian director of animation films and animator. She received the State Prize of Russian Federation in 1996. She is a Member of the Union of Cinematographers of the Russian Federation, and Member of the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Science Nika Award.
Anatoly Alexeyevich Petrov was a Soviet and Russian animation director, animator, artist and educator at VGIK known as the founder of the long-running anthology series Happy Merry-Go-Round and developer of the animation technique he called photographics. A member of ASIFA, he was named Meritorious Artist of the RSFSR in 1989.