Talk:Hedgehog in the Fog

Untitled
I think the article should mention the book on which the cartoon was based. After all, the book came out first, although the cartoon is undoubtedly much more well-known.&mdash;Ëzhiki (erinaceus amurensis) 20:04, Apr 27, 2005 (UTC)
 * Sorry, I didn't mention, who wrote the film. But as concerns the book, I am not sure, that it was published before, the earliest edition I found in the library is dated 1981. If you are sure, that it was, then correct my changes, please. Cmapm 22:52, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, for some reason I know for sure that the book was first, but now, when I think about it, I have no idea why I am so sure. I can certainly provide no facts to support my belief.  Anyway, a Yandex search comes up with several references confirming that the cartoon was based on Kozlov's book, but, unfortunately, none of those references looks reliable enough.  I'd love to do a library check myself, but I do not have access to Russian libraries.  I guess let's leave it for now; if I (or anyone else reading this, for that matter) find anything to confirm either version ("the book based on the cartoon" vs. "the cartoon based on the book"), I will post it here for sure.  At least the book is now mentioned in the article, for which please accept my gratitude.&mdash;Ëzhiki (erinaceus amurensis) 02:48, Apr 28, 2005 (UTC)


 * Accepted, thanks! I actually browsed the online catalog of the Russian State Library . Certainly, it may well be, that, for example, the book was written before the film, but published only in 1981. Cmapm 14:13, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

The cartoon was made by the Russian animator Yurii Norshtein.

2003 "award"
the best movie ever made!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.64.191.40 (talk) 00:51, 11 November 2009 (UTC)

Quote: "In 2003 it was awarded the title of the best animated film of all time at the Laputa Animation Festival in Tokyo." This information is wrong, though sadly it is widely circulated. In 2003 at the Laputa Animation Festival, Hedgehog in the Fog was shown as the first item of the program "Best of Best 2". However, it did not participate in the competition. Furthermore, Norshteyn himself was the head of the jury and no prizes were awarded to his films. The winners of the 2003 festival: http://www.laputa-jp.com/laf2003/bulletin/bulletin2.html Roxfan 19:33, 20 September 2006 (UTC)


 * Sorry, I'm not fluent in Japanese, hence the error. Cmapm 19:46, 20 September 2006 (UTC)


 * I'm still not quite sure that you're right... it's just that there are so many sources that say other things. For example, here (Russian), it says that 140 animators from around the world were asked to choose their top 20 films and that from this list 150 films were chosen.  The 150 films were put in a certain order and it seems to be by votes - for example, it says that 3rd place (the first two were taken by Hedgehog in the Fog and Tale of Tales) was taken by Disney's Fantasia, though with "far fewer votes" than the first two.  There were 14 Russian films in all, and over a third were Japanese.  This doesn't quite fit with what you're saying, and it seems to me that those results in your link were part of a completely different competition - the competition for films produced in the past year.  I think it might be a good idea to re-add mention of the award to this article, unless you can find a source saying that the order of those 150 films was actually random and not based on votes. Esn 00:18, 24 February 2007 (UTC)
 * Here's an archived list of the full 150 films (in Japanese), although #141-150 don't seem to have been saved. Here's a Russian page with translations of many of them (some names are in English, some in Russian) Esn (talk) 20:55, 19 April 2008 (UTC)
 * Also, here's the archived Japanese website translated through Google. Esn (talk) 21:00, 19 April 2008 (UTC)

Interpretation
Moved from the main page:

Another plot summary and interpretation:

The hedgehog's nightly walk through the woods to count the stars, drink tea and eat jam with his friend is such a habit he's not even aware of the dangerous owl stalking him. Instead of paying attention, he thinks of the conversation he will have with his friend. He comes upon a beautiful horse standing in the fog. The sight stops his internal dialogue and awakens his sense of wonder. His curiosity about what it might be like to experience a different reality leads him into the fog. He becomes a little afraid in this strange place and calls to the horse, but the horse does not answer him. He examines an oak leaf and a tree as though he has never seen them before. Realizing he has lost his jar of jam, a symbol of comfort and the familiar, his curiosity turns to fear, heightening his sense of danger to the point of being afraid of an obviously friendly dog who, miraculously, restores to him his jam. But someone called the dog with the whistle similar to the Beethoven's V symphony. All the while, faintly in the distance, we hear his friend calling for him. Still frightened, even with his jam, the hedgehog runs blindly through the fog and falls into the river. After a short struggle, he relaxes, literally "goes with the flow", accepts his fate and eventual death without fear. The horse watches him float by and does not attempt to help him. Suddenly, an unseen Someone touched his hind paw and asks, "Who are you and how did you get here?", questions humans (and hedgehogs) have asked themselves for thousands of years. He answers truthfully and simply and his life is saved. He makes his way back to his ordinary world, a changed being. His friend talks and talks, but the hedgehog sits quiet on the right side, joyful at just being together with him again. He thinks of the horse, the symbol of the impersonal wonder, mystery and beauty of existence. This is a story of how to live fully; by being in the "now" and being aware of the world and ourselves as we truly are. "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid." ~ Frederick Buechner —Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.62.12.196 (talk) 20:11, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Sequel?
Is there really a sequel to this film? It seems to mention it on the side. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.12.109.150 (talk) 20:07, 26 January 2010 (UTC)