Norshteyn, master of underrated Russian animation, has created a breathtakingly beautiful short about a cute hedgehog visiting his friend, the bear. What differs "Yozhik v tumane" from the typical American/Japanese animations is that it could be described as artistic poetry which definitely is not for everyone. You'd better not expect funny dialogues, happy songs and colorful landscapes. Quite the contrary, it is rather gray, dark and mysterious. It builds a blur atmosphere supported by a magical soundtrack. Haunting yet beautiful, it won't ever get out of your mind.
However, it still covers everything good animations are made of (and more) - it will make you smile especially because of its cuteness, but it also is lyrical, symbolistic and metaphorical. The hedgehog's adventure is about innocence, new (positive AND negative) experiences, friendship, fear, going one's own way - maybe even the subjective sense of life.
To conclude, this is a brilliant philosophical short for children, teenagers and adults equally.
However, it still covers everything good animations are made of (and more) - it will make you smile especially because of its cuteness, but it also is lyrical, symbolistic and metaphorical. The hedgehog's adventure is about innocence, new (positive AND negative) experiences, friendship, fear, going one's own way - maybe even the subjective sense of life.
To conclude, this is a brilliant philosophical short for children, teenagers and adults equally.