Fëdor Khitruk A Look at Soviet Animation through the Work of One Master

This book is a first and long-awaited study of the directorial work of the animation master Fëdor Khitruk (1917–2012), an artist who formed in the tradition of classical cel animation only to break the conventions once he turned into a director; a liaison between artists and authorities; a personality who promoted daring films to be created in the Soviet Union dominated by socialist realism; and a teacher and supporter of young artists that continued to carry on his legacy long after the Soviet empire collapsed. Fëdor Khitruk: A Look at Soviet Animation through the Work of One Master reveals Khitruk’s mastery in the art of the moving image and his critical role as a director of films that changed the look of Soviet animation and its relation to the animation world within and beyond the Eastern Bloc. Based on archival research, personal interviews, published memoirs, and perceptive analyses of Khitruk’s production of films for children and adults, this study is a must-read for scholars in Soviet art and culture as well as readers fascinated by traditional animation art.

Acknowledgements Notes on Transliteration and Translation Author   Preface Introduction. Khitruk the Man and the Animator             Pre-Soyuzmultfilm             At Soyuzmultfilm   Chapter 1 - A Turning Point in the Profession. Story of a Crime (1962), Man in the Frame (1966)             From Animating to Directing             Story of a Crime (Istoriia odnogo prestupleniia, 1962)                                 Innovation of Style                                 A Play with Languages                                 A Move from Socialist Realism                                 The Soviet Union of the 1960s                                 Production and Reception of the Film             From Criticism to Harsh Satire Man in the Frame (Chelovek v ramke, 1966)                                 Character, Space and Literary References                                 Real Life in Still Photographs                                 Character’s Isolation from Society                                 From a Study of the Human Soul to an Attack to the System                                 Revised Ending and Official Reception   Chapter 2 - Films for children. Toptyzhka (1964), Bonifatius’s Vacation (1965) and Vinni Pukh (1969-72)             Innovation of Style in Films for Children             Toptyzhka (1964)                                 In Pursuit of Charushin’s Manner                                 Animal Sound, Narrator Voice, and Music                                 Inner World behind Images and Movements             Bonifatius’s Vacation (Kanikuly Bonifatsii, 1965)                                 A Charming Character and Fragmented Bodies                                 Musical Commentaries                                 Conventionalized Style             Winnie the Pooh series 1969-72                                 In Search of Unique Stylistic Choices                                 Sound, Music, and Voice   Chapter 3 - Art and Society Othello 67 (1967) and Film, Film, Film (1968)             Othello 67 (1967)             Film, Film, Film (1968)                                 Genesis of the Film                                 Musical Refrain                                 Sources of the Comic                                 Censorship Chapter 4. Individual and Society - The Island (1973), I’ll Give you a Star (1974) and Icarus (1976) The Island (Ostrov, 1973)                                 Caricature Style                                 Topical Themes                                 Sound and Rhythm                                 Representation of Time and Space               I’ll Give You a Star (Dariu tebe zvezdu, 1974)                                 Concrete Time and Space                                 Flaws in the Whole                                 Woman Question                                 Anima-genic               Icarus and the Sages (Ikar i mudretsy, 1976)                                  Icarus and the Flight                                 Words as Weapons                                 Epilogue   Chapter 5. In Search for Unconventional Sources. The Young Friedrich Engels (1970), A Day Before Our Era (1977), Olympiad (1982)             The Young Friedrich Engels (Iunosha Fridrik Engels, 1970)                                                 Animated Drawings, Caricatures, and Words                                 Engel’s Thought through Music, Sound, and Images               A Day Before Our Era (Za den’ nashego ery. Fragment, 1977, unreleased).                                 Animating Works of Art                                 Music as a Layer in the Structure                                 The Two Faces of Revolutions               Olympics (Olimpioniki, 1982)                                 Introductory Scene                                 Animating Greek Vases’ Figures                                 A Return to Present Time with Photography   Chapter 6. The Last Torch. The Lion and the Bull (1983)             Background and Characters             A Prologue in Condensed Form             Morale Without Words   Conclusion. Khitruk – The Teacher. Films Directed by Khitruk and Awards Films Cited Documentaries and Podcast about Khitruk Selected Bibliography Appendix. Films Animated by Khitruk at Soyuzmultfilm         

Laura Pontieri, PhD taught Soviet cinema and European animation at the University of Toronto for many years, appeared as a speaker at academic conferences and cinema events, and published several articles and reviews on Russian and Czech animation in North American and European journals. She is the author of the book Soviet Animation and the Thaw of the 1960s: Not Only for Children (John Libbey Publishing, 2012).