Gagarin

It feels like a summer day with the lovely warm colours and the nature sounds of birds chirping. A charming little film that's more fun to watch than I expected.

This is a rather short and very simple Russian cartoon. It was nominated for the Best Animated Short Film Oscar in 1996, though it did not win--that award went to WALLACE AND GROMIT IN A CLOSE SHAVE. While there is nothing earth-shaking about the animation of GAGARIN (being done with rather simple but effective artwork), it is effective and sweet--and viewers can't help but like the cute little main character.

The film is all about a scared little caterpillar. Unfortunately, he'd like to fly but is hesitant. So naturally, he is accidentally battered about when he climbs into a badminton shuttlecock--going on a very dizzying ride.

In three minutes, humans and nature are described through the eyes of animals. The difference between animals and how curiosity can prevent a person from being free are strikingly depicted. This study, which centers on the problem of freedom in animal existence, deserves to be considered. In the film, only people's voices are heard and their hands are shown, they are shown as vague silhouettes from a distance. A helicopter, which may not draw the attention of an ordinary person while flying overhead, makes animals afraid and not knowing what to do.

It is admirable that the big things, the problem of freedom, the cost of being different from others or within the community, are explained in such a minimalist way.

Given the nature of its premise and the country of origin being Russia, it's a fairly logical guess that the title is a reference to Yuri Gagarin, the Russian cosmonaut who became the first man to climb into a glorified tin can and be shot into orbit around the Earth. This is a very cute, often funny and sometimes poignant cartoon about getting what you wish for. That it doesn't always turn out as you wish it to is the ironic twist here. This can be found on one of the Spike and Mike Festival of Animation compilations and is well worth looking for. Highly recommended.

The cartoon is done with sparkling humour and at the same time with love. The caterpillar looks very touching and naive, but when it finally gets out of the shuttle-cock where it got to learn to fly one can't help laughing at the poor dizzy thing. The more cartoons like this one the better.