friday, april 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Władysław Starewicz
Władysław Starewicz (also known as “Ladislas Starewitch”) was a Polish stop-motion animator who used insects and animals as characters in his films. Mr. Starewicz was born to Polish parents in tsarist Russia in 1882. He died in France in 1965.
In 1911, Mr. Starewicz moved to Moscow where he made dozens of films, most of them puppet animations (using insects). His time in Moscow proved fruitful because his films received international acclaim. Perhaps the most famous film from this period was The Cameraman’s Revenge (1912), a tale of insect infidelity.
During World War I, Mr. Starewicz worked for several film companies, directing sixty live-action features. After the October Revolution in 1917, he fled Russia, eventually settling in Paris, France.
During his time in Paris, he made dozens of films, including political satires, such as The Frogs Who Wanted a King (1922), fairy tales, such as Voice of the Nightingale (1923), and fantasies, such as The Mascot (1933). His first animated feature film was The Tale of the Fox (1930), which is considered one of the finest stop-motion animation films ever made. Mr. Starewicz continued to make films until his death in 1965.
The Cameraman’s Revenge (1912) 13 min.
Mr. and Mrs. Beetle, two insects, have a very calm home life, so they decide to complicate by commiting adultery. A vengeful cameraman uncovers and records their unfaithful behavior, only to have his plans foiled.
The Insects’ Christmas (1913) 7 min.
A Santa shaped Christmas ornament suddenly comes to life and makes a Christmas tree for the insects of the forest. The entire insect family accepts Santa’s invitation to celebrate Christmas, including ladybugs, grasshoppers, and frogs.
The Frogs Who Wanted a King (1922) 9 min.
a.k.a., Frogland
“Once upon a time the Frogland Commonwealth waxed so prosperous that its heavy thinkers acquired the human trait of sitting around and making wise croaks against the government.” So begins this film where frogs experiment with a series of different types of governments, only to be disappointed in each.
Voice of the Nightingale (1923) 13 min.
A captive nightingale sings to a little girl during her sleep about legends from faraway lands. The songs reveal a longing of the nightingale to return to its family. The girl starts to realize that love and suffering extend to all living creatures.
The Mascot (1933) 26 min.
a.k.a. The Devil’s Ball
The tear of a seamstress brings to life a dog mascot. The mascot overhears that a girl asks her mother for an orange, and from thereon it goes on a mission to bring its beloved owner the orange.
Winter Carousel (1958) 11 min.
This movie is about a winter wonderland fantasy that features foxes, hares, and bears as characters. The stop-motion animation is stunning not only because of the fluid movement of the characters, but also because of the accurate control of the surrounding environment in which these characters reside.
The Tale of the Fox (1930) 85 min. (screens on
April 26, at 9:00 p.m.)
The Tale of the Fox is an epic stop-motion animation, one of the first in cinema history. Based on German folktales as retold by ...more
