Wladyslaw Starewicz

A bored, married suburbanite journeys to the city and carries on an affair with a nightclub dancer. He treats one of the dancer's other suitors rather roughly, who turns out to be a cameraman. Complications ensue. This was one of Starewicz's first animated films, and stars very realistic animated beetles.

A Father Christmas ornament climbs down from a decorated tree, and goes to the forest. There he creates and decorates a Christmas tree for the forest creatures. He then invites all the insects, along with a friendly frog, to come and enjoy the gifts he has prepared, and to celebrate Christmas. (imdb)

The frogs are bored with their lot, and ask God to give them a king - but God, irritated with their inability to govern themselves, quickly makes them change their minds... (imdb)

A partly-animated short film, a fairy-tale-like telling of why the nightingale only sings at night. A young girl who has caught a nightingale dreams about the nightingale and its mate, and comes to realize that birds are not made to be captive but free. In return for its freedom, the nightingale loans the child its voice for use in the daytime, which is why nightingales only sing at night. (imdb)

A toy stuffed dog has just been sewn together when it hears a young child ask for an orange. The child's mother explains that they have no money, and so she cannot buy any oranges. The dog is then packed up along with a box full of other toys to be sold, but it soon winds up in the street... (imdb)

A small group of animals gathers around a frozen pond. The animals then play together on the ice and in the snow. Later, when the season changes, they look for new ways of passing the time. (imdb)

# LE LION ET LE MOUCHERON - The Lion and the Fly # LE LION DEVENU VIEUX - The Old Lion

A dog's shipboard honeymoon voyage takes a turn for the worse when a fierce storm hits the ship. (imdb)

Based on a fable by Krylov, and other sources: All summer, the grasshopper sings, plays music, and visits with it's friends. Meanwhile, the ant works hard collecting food and building a shelter. The grasshopper makes light of the ant's strenuous efforts, but when winter comes, things are much different. (imdb)

The Country Rat visits his friend, the Town Rat, but finds that life in the great metropolis is rather too hectic (and dangerous - there's a live cat among all the puppet rats!) (imdb)

The Magic Clock Fables are a contemporary adaptation of three short films by pioneer and giant of animation Ladislas Starewitch.

In the kingdom of animals, Master Fox is used to trick and fool everyone. So the King, the Lion, receives more and more complaints about him. He orders that Master Fox is arrested and brough to him... One of the first animation film with puppets. The story is taken from a from a French medieval fable. (imdb)

When a young girl finds a beautiful dead lily in the woods, she asks her grandfather to tell her about it. He tells her an allegory about the Lily of Belgium: The lily stands in splendor beside a stream, admired by the creatures of the woods. But an army of beetles, bent on conquering new territories, wants to cross the stream - and the lily is blocking their way. (imdb)

The fern flower blooms for very short time on the eve of the Ivan Kupala Day. The flower would bring fortune to the person who finds it. In various versions of the tale the fern flower brings luck, wealth, or the ability to understand the animal speech.

It's the story of Yolande, a little girl (about 12) who wanted to become a princess. Bombastus, her old father, has created a marvelous and big clock crowded with little characters (animated puppets). On each hour ring, one of the twelve knights of the clock comes into motion. They're all in love with the princess but a strong black knight doesn't agree... (imdb)

Agile monkey and a little street singer helps her mother.

Adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier.

Based on Gogol's story. It's Christmas Eve, and everyone in the village has plans. The devil and the witch Solokha are looking for ways of causing mischief. Solokha's son, Vakula, wants to court charming Oksana, who sets him on a quest: if Vakula will bring her the tsaritsa's shoes, Oksana will marry him. (imdb)

A bear, a rabbit and a fox decide to form a band and play for the animals of the forest. (imdb)

2 bugs fight over a beautiful female bug. (imdb)

An insect-wedding animated in stop-motion. (imdb)

The misadventures of a traveling theatrical company, as the actors attempt to put on a show while romantic rivalries erupt backstage. (imdb)

A man is increasingly unnerved by a mysterious portrait. Based on a story by Nikolai Gogol, the film is thought to have run about 45 minutes long, but only an 8 minute fragment is known to have survived. (themoviedb)

Aurélie, the fly, lives in the countryside with her uncle Anatole, the beetle. One day, while stealing honey from the bee, she is surprised by it. Capricorn saves her and they become engaged.

A drunken gardener is challenged to a poker match by agents of the Devil; replete with location shots in Hades of the Devil giving orders to his agents on Earth.

The film is a delightful tale of a spoiled wedding between child’s toys which shows Starewicz’s typical style of making amusing films appropriate for children without much sentimentality. As in many of his other films, his daughter Nina plays the role of the child.

Formerly Prince Tchao-sin loved Princess Hadjuin-li, but the wicked Lao-Tchang opposed their happiness. Eager to escape him, the two lovers set out for the land of Love where, they were told, clouds never obscured the sun. On the road stood a dragon that sought to lure travelers into its cave.