Directed by Aghanaghi Akhundov and Yalchin Efendiyev • 1969 • USSR/Azerbaijan
Produced at the start of the golden age of Azerbaijani animation, Akhundov and Efendiyev’s Jirtdan (meaning “small” or “dwarf”) is a magical little treat in which the titular tiny hero and his brothers must outwit the child-eating Div.
JIRTDAN
Directed by Aghanaghi Akhundov and Yalchin Efendiyev
Written by Alla Akhundova
Cinematography by Aleksandr Milov
In Azerbaijani with English subtitles
Up Next in Shorts Showcase: miniature masterpieces from the Klassiki collection
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The Heron and the Crane
Directed by Yuri Norstein • 1974 • USSR/Russia
The Heron and the Crane is a humorous little tale of amorous indecision and self-destruction from animator supreme Yuri Norstein. The titular animals are engaged in a dance of romantic attraction and rejection, whimsical but melancholy. A c...
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Hedgehog in the Fog
Directed by Yuri Norstein • 1976 • USSR/Russia
Directed by master artist Yuri Norstein, Hedgehog in the Fog is one of the world’s most beloved animated classics. The film follows a hedgehog as he sets off to look at the stars with his friend, the bear cub. But, distracted by a beautiful...
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The Battle of Kherzenets
Directed by Yuri Norstein and Ivan Ivanov-Vano • 1971 • USSR/Russia
This animated short is based on the Russian legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, which was reputed to have disappeared under the waters of Lake Svetloyar to escape an attack by the Mongols. This medieval folk tale was adapted...