This book is a first and long-awaited study of the directorial work of the animation master Fëdor Khitruk (19172012), 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 Khitruks 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 Khitruks 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.
Acknowledgments. Preface. Introduction: Khitruk the Man and the
Animator. 1 A Turning Point in the Profession: Story of a Crime (1962), Man
in the Frame (1966). 2 Films for Children: Toptyzhka (1964), Bonifatiuss
Vacation (1965), and Vinni Pukh (196972). 3 Art and Society: Othello 67
(1967) and Film, Film, Film (1968). 4 Individual and Society: The Island
(1973), Ill Give You a Star (1974), and Icarus and the Wisemen (1976). 5 In
Search for Unconventional Sources: The Young Friedrich Engels (1970), A Day
Before Our Era (1977), and Olympics (1982). 6 The Last Torch: The Lion and
the Bull (1983). Conclusion: Khitruk The Teacher. Films Cited. Films
Directed by Fëdor Khitruk and Awards. Selected Bibliography. Appendix: Films
Animated by Khitruk at Soyuzmultfilm. Index.
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).
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