Boris Stepantsev
Directing
Biography
Boris Pavlovich Stepantsev (7 December 1929 — 21 May 1983) was a Soviet and Russian animation director, animator, artist and book illustrator, and creative director of the Multtelefilm animation department of the Studio Ekran. As a child Boris Stepantsev (born Stepantsov) fell in love with animated films "because there was nothing funnier in the whole world" and decided to dedicate his life to comedy animation. He graduated from the Moscow Art School and in 1946, right after the end of war, joined animation courses at Soyuzmultfilm where he watched many movies, including films by Disney that served as a major inspiration for him. [from Wikipedia]
Known For
A young chambermaid finds a neglected nutcracker under a Christmas tree. It comes to life, but the Nutcracker is really an enchanted prince.
The Nutcracker
The animated film was created based on the fables of Sergey Mikhalkov "Cautious birds" and "Hare in the hops." Drake with his assistants arranges a performance on the forest stage for animals. He tells fables about forest dwellers from the stage.
On the Forest Stage
A boy finds his way into the Little Red Riding Hood cartoon in order to save the girl from the Big Bad Wolf.
Petia and Little Red Riding Hood
A Soviet cartoon adaptation of a classic Swedish tale by Astrid Lindgren about Karlsson-on-the-Roof.
Junior and Karlson
A landmark four disc Box Set - Unearthed from Moscow's legendary Soyuzmultfilm Studios, the 41 films in ANIMATED SOVIET PROPAGANDA span sixty years of Soviet history (1924 - 1984), and have never been available before in the U.S.
Animated Soviet Propaganda
The action of the animation film takes place in an oasis. Beasts (a Hare, a Monkey, a cub of a Zebra) look at the well, discover that the water reflects them. The Monkey nearly dies, trying to quarrel with her reflection. Meanwhile, a Lion goes hunting, catches up and kills an adult Zebra. The animals consoled the orphaned cub of Zebra. The Lion, on the advice of the Snake, orders that the beasts themselves later come to him for dinner.
The Lion and the Hare
A young man falls in love with a young woman from the next window. A wordless fantasy inspired by Sergei Prokofiev's Visions fugitives, Op. 22.
The Window
A Soviet cult cartoon, so untypical for a Western viewer, especially, a little one. A boy named Malysh ("A Little One") suffers from solitude being the youngest of the three children in a Swedish family. The acute sense of solitude makes him desperately want a dog, but before he gets one, he "invents" a friend - the very Karlson who lives upon the roof. So typical for the Russian culture spirit of mischief, which is, actually, never punished, and the notion that relative welfare not necessarily means happiness made the book by Astrid Lindgren and its TV adaptations tremendously popular in the Soviet Union and nowadays Russia and vice versa - somewhat alienated to the Western reader and viewer (see User's comments below). However, both the book and the cartoon are truly universal - entertaining and funny for the children and thought-provoking and somewhat sad for grownups.
Junior and Karlson
A schoolboy gets into a fairy tale with the help of a librarian and DIY book. But life in the magical land is not as easy as it seems.
Vovka in the Kingdom of Far Far Away
No description available.
Assol
No description available.
A Dangerous Prank
With a help of good nature a young brave girl goes to the dark forest for saving her youngest brother abducted by Baba Yaga.
Geese-Swans
Mole, director of an egg incubator, hires Rat as an employee, who soon begins to steal and muddy the waters. A social satire about poorly-managed organizations, based on caricatures by Boris Yefimov.
The Signature Is Illegible
The film makes fun of incompetent hack composers who replace real creativity with an unabashed compilation. The goat-composer completes work on a new work, the theme of which is suggested by the Donkey and the Ram. The author's concert of the composer is preceded by the performance of the Gray Wolf-musicologist. He admires the creation of the venerable Goat-fool. But when the animal orchestra performs a slightly modified song "Once upon a time there was a gray goat fool", the audience begins to leave their seats…
A Goat-Musician
No description available.
Only Not Now
The fabulous journalist Murzilka, while on vacation, receives a telegram from the magazine's editor-in-chief in which Murzilka is instructed to make a photo portrait of a good boy or child inventor for the cover of the new issue.
Adventures of Murzilka
Animated figures of a mantel clock - the boy Tock and his sister Tick set off to travel through the pages of the book “Travel to the Land of the Giants”. There they learn about the great construction projects of the Soviet Union and get acquainted with production processes.
Travel to the Land of the Giants
The Kid didn't have to miss Carlson for long - one day he landed in his room again. This means that there will be new adventures and pranks! With Carlson's help, the harsh and bossy Freken Bock will be re-educated and become very kind. And then the friends will all put on a costume show with dancing and drink tea with buns.
Karlson Returns
The painted rooster gets acquainted with the inhabitants of the barnyard and learns about the world.
Rooster and Paint
Murzilka sets forth for the known picture of Fyodor Pavlovich Reshetnikov "Again two". A boy considers that two on geography was put him unfairly. Murzilka examines him. Outliving the row of adventures, a student gives one's word to reform.