About

Known credits:
88
Birthday:
1941-09-15
Place of birth:
Andreevka, Penzenskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR
Website:

Yuri Norstein

Overview

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

Known for

Acting

2021 The Animators Who've Spent 40 Years on a Single Film Actor N/A
N/A
2021 Oleg: The Oleg Vidov Story Actor Self 58
Average
2019 Yuriy Norshteyn: Making the Overcoat Actor Himself N/A
N/A
2017 Gennady Shpalikov. Life Of A Charming Man Actor himself N/A
N/A
2012 We Come From Cartoons. 100 Years of Russian Animation Actor Himself N/A
N/A
2011 A Hedgehog Came Out of the Fog Actor N/A
N/A
2010 Rob Saakyanc. The Last Hippy of the Pink City Actor N/A
N/A
2007 Islands: Georgy Rerberg Actor Self N/A
N/A
2005 Miracle Factory. Animation Director Actor N/A
N/A
2005 Hayao Miyazaki and the Ghibli Museum Actor Self 59
Average
2004 Magia Russica Actor N/A
N/A
1997 The Spirit of Genius - Fedor Khitruk and His Films Actor Self N/A
N/A
1980 With You I Am Again... Actor voice 58
Average

Directing

2003 Winter Days Directing Director 58
Average
2000 Good Night, Little Ones! Directing Director N/A
N/A
2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 3 Directing Director N/A
N/A
2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 2 Directing Director N/A
N/A
1979 Tale of Tales Directing Director 61
Fair
1977 One Day Before Our Era Directing Director 59
Average
1975 Hedgehog in the Fog Directing Director 63
Fair
1974 The Heron and the Crane Directing Director 59
Average
1973 The Fox and the Hare Directing Director 59
Average
1971 The Battle of Kerzhenets Directing Director 59
Average
1969 Children and Matches Directing Director 58
Average
1969 Seasons Directing Co-Director 58
Average
1968 25 October, the First Day Directing Director 58
Average
The Overcoat Directing Director 59
Average
The Overcoat Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing

2000 Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 2 Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
1979 Tale of Tales Writing Screenplay 61
Fair
1977 One Day Before Our Era Writing Writer 59
Average
1977 One Day Before Our Era Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1975 Hedgehog in the Fog Writing Screenplay 63
Fair
1974 The Heron and the Crane Writing Writer 59
Average
1974 The Heron and the Crane Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1973 The Fox and the Hare Writing Writer 59
Average
1973 The Fox and the Hare Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1971 The Battle of Kerzhenets Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1968 25 October, the First Day Writing Writer 58
Average
1968 25 October, the First Day Writing Screenplay 58
Average
The Overcoat Writing Writer 59
Average
The Overcoat Writing Screenplay 59
Average
The Overcoat Writing Writer N/A
N/A

Production

2017 The Films of Yuri Norstein Production Producer N/A
N/A
The Overcoat Production Producer 59
Average
The Overcoat Production Producer N/A
N/A

Art

1987 My Favorite Time Art Production Design N/A
N/A
1983 У попа была собака Art Creative Director N/A
N/A
1968 25 October, the First Day Art Art Direction 58
Average
1968 25 October, the First Day Art Decorator 58
Average

Crew

The Overcoat Crew Script 59
Average

Visual Effects

1990 School of Fine Arts Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A
1990 School of Fine Arts. Return Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A
1987 School of Fine Arts. Juniper Landscape Visual Effects Animation 59
Average
1982 Olympians Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A
1982 Autumn Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A
1981 O Sport, You Are Peace! Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1980 With You I Am Again... Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1979 Tale of Tales Visual Effects Animation 61
Fair
1977 I Am Flying to You as a Memory... Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1975 Hedgehog in the Fog Visual Effects Animation 63
Fair
1975 Visiting the Gnomes Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1974 Shapoklyak Visual Effects Animation 59
Average
1974 The Heron and the Crane Visual Effects Animation 59
Average
1973 The Fox and the Hare Visual Effects Animation 59
Average
1972 Cherished Dream Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1972 The Property of Republic Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1972 New Year Tale Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1971 Mama Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1971 Cheburashka Visual Effects Animation 60
Fair
1971 The Youngest Rain Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A
1971 Losharik Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1971 The Battle of Kerzhenets Visual Effects Animation 59
Average
1969 Tale of the Kolobok Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1969 Grandma's Umbrella Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A
1968 Watch Out, Pike! Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A
1968 The Comedian Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A
1967 The Legend of the Cruel Giant Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A
1966 Go There, Don't Know Where Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A
1966 My Green Crocodile Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1965 How One Peasant Fed Two Generals Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1965 Boniface's Holiday Visual Effects Animation 59
Average
1964 Left-Hander Visual Effects Animation 59
Average
1963 The Tale of the Old Cedar Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A
1963 Mister Twister Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1962 Two Stories Visual Effects Animation 59
Average
The Overcoat Visual Effects Animation 59
Average
The Overcoat Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A