hedgehog in the fog

The village of Oktemtsy, Khangalassky Ulus, Sakha Republic, in the not-quite-fog-yet-season (November 2010)

I recently saw one of the loveliest short films, Ёжик в тумане, or Ëzhik v tumane, 'Hedgehog in the Fog'. Created in 1975 by the Soviet animator Yuriy Norshteyn, and based on a fairytale by Sergey Kozlov, it's one of the most meditative, quiet, slightly unsettling but ultimately sweet little things I have ever seen. Much like my dear Moomins, the curious yet anxious Hedgehog and the other characters are philosophical little creatures, & they resist all moralizing and summarizing. Deeply existential, they quietly explore without explaining. They wonder about what happens to horses in the fog, about why the owl is so noisy, about who or what they will find there, amongst the trees; & they accept the help of a mysterious Someone so that they might find their friend to drink tea with jam & count the stars.

Here he is, lost in the fog with a satchel of jam...

Beloved by all generations since it first came out, elements have also entered linguistic culture, too; I was told by a friend here that people often refer to the film when someone is confused, or feeling altogether rather lost, saying they are "kak ëzhik v tumane", like the hedgehog in the fog...)

Please, do go watch it. It's on YouTube here. (and apparently downloadable here, but I haven't tried it as my internet can't handle it)

& if you like, you can decorate your Chrome Browser with the art here.

Photograph of the fog-horse from Leah Bolvig, here.