A work in constant progress (and occasional regress).
Alias:
Iouri Norstein
Yuri Norshteyn
Yuri Norstein
Yuriy Norshteyn
Yuriy Norstein
Yury Norshteyn
Yury Norstein
Норштейн, Юрий Борисович
Ю. Норштейн
Ю́рий Бори́сович Норште́йн
ユーリ・ノルシュテイン
ユーリ・ボリソヴィチ・ノルシュテイン
Birthplace:
Andreevka, Penzenskaya oblast, USSR (Russia)
Born:
September 15, 1941
PAR Yuri Norstein (Russian: Ю́рий Бори́сович Норште́йн, Yuriy Borisovich Norshteyn; born 15 September 1941), is a Soviet and Russian animator best known for his animated shorts, Hedgehog in the Fog and Tale of Tales. Since 1981 he has been working on a feature film called The Overcoat, based on the short story by Nikolai Gogol of the same name. According to the Washington Post, "He is considered by many to be not just the best animator of his era, but the best of all time". Yuri Norstein was born to a Jewish family in the village of Andreyevka, Penza Oblast, during his parents' World War II evacuation. He grew up in the Maryina Roshcha suburb of Moscow. After studying at an art school, Norstein initially found work at a furniture factory. Then he finished a two-year animation course and found employment at studio Soyuzmultfilm in 1961. The first film that he participated in as an animator was Who Said "Meow"? (1962). After working as an animation artist in some fifty films, Norstein got the chance to direct his own. In 1968 he debuted with 25th October, the First Day, sharing directorial credit with Arkadiy Tyurin. The film used the artwork of 1920s-era Soviet artists Nathan Altman and Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin. The next film in which he had a major role was The Battle of Kerzhenets (1971), a co-production with Russian animation director Ivan Ivanov-Vano under whose direction Norstein had earlier worked on 1969's Times of the Year. Throughout the 1970s Norstein continued to work as an animator in many films, and also directed several. As the decade progressed his animation style became ever more sophisticated, looking less like flat cut-outs and more like smoothly-moving paintings or sophisticated pencil sketches. His most famous film is Tale of Tales, a non-linear, autobiographical film about growing up in the postwar Soviet world. Norstein uses a special technique in his animation, involving multiple glass planes to give his animation a three-dimensional look. The camera is placed at the top looking down on a series of glass planes about a meter deep (one every 25–30 cm). The individual glass planes can move horizontally as well as toward and away from the camera (to give the effect of a character moving closer or further away). For many years he has collaborated with his wife, the artist Francheska Yarbusova, and the cinematographer Aleksandr Zhukovskiy. Source: Wikipedia
Animation:
1962 Two Stories
1964 Left-Hander
1966 Go There, Don't Know Where
1966 My Green Crocodile
1968 The Comedian
1971 Losharik
1971 The Battle of Kerzhenets
1971 The Property of Republic
1973 The Fox and the Hare
1974 Shapoklyak
1974 The Heron and the Crane
1975 Hedgehog in the Fog
1977 I Am Flying to You as a Memory...
1979 Tale of Tales
1980 With You I Am Again...
1982 Autumn
1982 Olympians
1987 School of Fine Arts. Juniper Landscape
1990 School of Fine Arts
1990 School of Fine Arts. Return
Art Direction:
1962 Two Stories
1964 Left-Hander
1966 Go There, Don't Know Where
1966 My Green Crocodile
1968 25 October, the First Day
1968 The Comedian
1971 Losharik
1971 The Battle of Kerzhenets
1971 The Property of Republic
1973 The Fox and the Hare
1974 Shapoklyak
1974 The Heron and the Crane
1975 Hedgehog in the Fog
1977 I Am Flying to You as a Memory...
1979 Tale of Tales
1980 With You I Am Again...
1982 Autumn
1982 Olympians
1987 School of Fine Arts. Juniper Landscape
1990 School of Fine Arts
1990 School of Fine Arts. Return
Co-Director:
1962 Two Stories
1964 Left-Hander
1966 Go There, Don't Know Where
1966 My Green Crocodile
1968 25 October, the First Day
1968 The Comedian
1969 Seasons
1971 Losharik
1971 The Battle of Kerzhenets
1971 The Property of Republic
1973 The Fox and the Hare
1974 Shapoklyak
1974 The Heron and the Crane
1975 Hedgehog in the Fog
1977 I Am Flying to You as a Memory...
1979 Tale of Tales
1980 With You I Am Again...
1982 Autumn
1982 Olympians
1987 School of Fine Arts. Juniper Landscape
1990 School of Fine Arts
1990 School of Fine Arts. Return
Creative Director:
1962 Two Stories
1964 Left-Hander
1966 Go There, Don't Know Where
1966 My Green Crocodile
1968 25 October, the First Day
1968 The Comedian
1969 Seasons
1971 Losharik
1971 The Battle of Kerzhenets
1971 The Property of Republic
1973 The Fox and the Hare
1974 Shapoklyak
1974 The Heron and the Crane
1975 Hedgehog in the Fog
1977 I Am Flying to You as a Memory...
1979 Tale of Tales
1980 With You I Am Again...
1982 Autumn
1982 Olympians
1983 У попа была собака
1987 School of Fine Arts. Juniper Landscape
1990 School of Fine Arts
1990 School of Fine Arts. Return
Decorator:
1962 Two Stories
1964 Left-Hander
1966 Go There, Don't Know Where
1966 My Green Crocodile
1968 25 October, the First Day
1968 The Comedian
1969 Seasons
1971 Losharik
1971 The Battle of Kerzhenets
1971 The Property of Republic
1973 The Fox and the Hare
1974 Shapoklyak
1974 The Heron and the Crane
1975 Hedgehog in the Fog
1977 I Am Flying to You as a Memory...
1979 Tale of Tales
1980 With You I Am Again...
1982 Autumn
1982 Olympians
1983 У попа была собака
1987 School of Fine Arts. Juniper Landscape
1990 School of Fine Arts
1990 School of Fine Arts. Return
Director:
1962 Two Stories
1964 Left-Hander
1966 Go There, Don't Know Where
1966 My Green Crocodile
1968 25 October, the First Day
1968 The Comedian
1969 Children and Matches
1969 Seasons
1971 Losharik
1971 The Battle of Kerzhenets
1971 The Property of Republic
1973 The Fox and the Hare
1974 Shapoklyak
1974 The Heron and the Crane
1975 Hedgehog in the Fog
1977 I Am Flying to You as a Memory...
1977 One Day Before Our Era
1979 Tale of Tales
1980 With You I Am Again...
1982 Autumn
1982 Olympians
1983 У попа была собака
1987 School of Fine Arts. Juniper Landscape
1990 School of Fine Arts
1990 School of Fine Arts. Return
2000 Good Night, Little Ones!
2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 2
2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 3
2003 Winter Days
Producer:
1962 Two Stories
1964 Left-Hander
1966 Go There, Don't Know Where
1966 My Green Crocodile
1968 25 October, the First Day
1968 The Comedian
1969 Children and Matches
1969 Seasons
1971 Losharik
1971 The Battle of Kerzhenets
1971 The Property of Republic
1973 The Fox and the Hare
1974 Shapoklyak
1974 The Heron and the Crane
1975 Hedgehog in the Fog
1977 I Am Flying to You as a Memory...
1977 One Day Before Our Era
1979 Tale of Tales
1980 With You I Am Again...
1982 Autumn
1982 Olympians
1983 У попа была собака
1987 School of Fine Arts. Juniper Landscape
1990 School of Fine Arts
1990 School of Fine Arts. Return
2000 Good Night, Little Ones!
2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 2
2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 3
2003 Winter Days
2017 The Films of Yuri Norstein
Production Design:
1962 Two Stories
1964 Left-Hander
1966 Go There, Don't Know Where
1966 My Green Crocodile
1968 25 October, the First Day
1968 The Comedian
1969 Children and Matches
1969 Seasons
1971 Losharik
1971 The Battle of Kerzhenets
1971 The Property of Republic
1973 The Fox and the Hare
1974 Shapoklyak
1974 The Heron and the Crane
1975 Hedgehog in the Fog
1977 I Am Flying to You as a Memory...
1977 One Day Before Our Era
1979 Tale of Tales
1980 With You I Am Again...
1982 Autumn
1982 Olympians
1983 У попа была собака
1987 My Favorite Time
1987 School of Fine Arts. Juniper Landscape
1990 School of Fine Arts
1990 School of Fine Arts. Return
2000 Good Night, Little Ones!
2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 2
2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 3
2003 Winter Days
2017 The Films of Yuri Norstein
Screenplay:
1962 Two Stories
1964 Left-Hander
1966 Go There, Don't Know Where
1966 My Green Crocodile
1968 25 October, the First Day
1968 The Comedian
1969 Children and Matches
1969 Seasons
1971 Losharik
1971 The Battle of Kerzhenets
1971 The Property of Republic
1973 The Fox and the Hare
1974 Shapoklyak
1974 The Heron and the Crane
1975 Hedgehog in the Fog
1977 I Am Flying to You as a Memory...
1977 One Day Before Our Era
1979 Tale of Tales
1980 With You I Am Again...
1982 Autumn
1982 Olympians
1983 У попа была собака
1987 My Favorite Time
1987 School of Fine Arts. Juniper Landscape
1990 School of Fine Arts
1990 School of Fine Arts. Return
2000 Good Night, Little Ones!
2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 2
2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 3
2003 Winter Days
2017 The Films of Yuri Norstein
Visual Effects:
1962 Two Stories
1964 Left-Hander
1966 Go There, Don't Know Where
1966 My Green Crocodile
1968 25 October, the First Day
1968 The Comedian
1969 Children and Matches
1969 Seasons
1971 Losharik
1971 Mama
1971 The Battle of Kerzhenets
1971 The Property of Republic
1973 The Fox and the Hare
1974 Shapoklyak
1974 The Heron and the Crane
1975 Hedgehog in the Fog
1977 I Am Flying to You as a Memory...
1977 One Day Before Our Era
1979 Tale of Tales
1980 With You I Am Again...
1982 Autumn
1982 Olympians
1983 У попа была собака
1987 My Favorite Time
1987 School of Fine Arts. Juniper Landscape
1990 School of Fine Arts
1990 School of Fine Arts. Return
2000 Good Night, Little Ones!
2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 2
2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 3
2003 Winter Days
2017 The Films of Yuri Norstein
Writer:
1962 Two Stories
1964 Left-Hander
1966 Go There, Don't Know Where
1966 My Green Crocodile
1968 25 October, the First Day
1968 The Comedian
1969 Children and Matches
1969 Seasons
1971 Losharik
1971 Mama
1971 The Battle of Kerzhenets
1971 The Property of Republic
1973 The Fox and the Hare
1974 Shapoklyak
1974 The Heron and the Crane
1975 Hedgehog in the Fog
1977 I Am Flying to You as a Memory...
1977 One Day Before Our Era
1979 Tale of Tales
1980 With You I Am Again...
1982 Autumn
1982 Olympians
1983 У попа была собака
1987 My Favorite Time
1987 School of Fine Arts. Juniper Landscape
1990 School of Fine Arts
1990 School of Fine Arts. Return
2000 Good Night, Little Ones!
2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 2
2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 3
2003 Winter Days
2017 The Films of Yuri Norstein
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Additional data for Film Titles come from The Open Movie Database (OMDb).
At least one plug-in comes from IMDb.
Data are -- hey, it's a plural -- subject to the limitations of their sources. (For example, TMDB search results currently max out at 20.) I am limiting myself to free data sources for now. (No, a "free trial" is not free.)
While much of the above data are retrieved directly from outside APIs and other such sources, data from American Film Institute (AFI) and British Film Institute (BFI) were manually entered the old fashioned way into a MySQL database. Re BFI I took the following liberties:
Regarding profile removals and data corrections:
Filtering is applied here to film projects flagged as "adult" by TheMovieDB. Pending "popular demand" I am contemplating a login and profile system with preferences (such as whether to allow adult images to appear) and permissions (such as data entry).
Whereas the overall purpose of this website is to serve as a personal demo/portfolio/workshop of web and data skills, this Movies section is not meant to compete with or substitute for far more definitive movie websites.
Whether or not he still clings to an award which he won in 1986 as a film critic for his college's newspaper, Jeffrey Hartmann is not responsible for the texts of overviews and biographies supplied by external data sources.