Andrey Khrzhanovsky
Directing
Biography
Andrey Yurievich Khrzhanovsky (Russian: Андрей Юрьевич Хржано́вский; born 30 November 1939, Moscow) is a Russian animator, documaker, filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He is the father of director Ilya Khrzhanovsky (1975). His parents met in Irkutsk, and after the revolution they moved to Leningrad after mother's brothers. There, his father, who performed in the divertissement genre, became close to the actor Erast Garin and his wife Hesya Lokshina, who, after moving to Moscow, made every effort to make the Khrzhanovsky family follow them. They settled in Mansurovsky lane, and a year later the couple had a son, Andrey. In 1962, he graduated from "VGIK" (workshop of Lev Kuleshov and Alexandra Khokhlova). According to Hrzhanovsky, he was brought to "Soyuzmultfilm" by a case: due to the large number of graduates of the directing faculty, the only way to make a diploma film without spending years waiting for their turn was to shoot non-fiction films at the studio. The cartoon "There Lived Kozyavin" (1966) was not allowed to be defended because of suspicions of surrealism until the head of the Department Sergey Gerasimov defined it as "our, socialist surrealism". Khrzhanovsky describes his next cartoon, "The Glass Harmonica" (1968), as "the story of today... about the power of money over our souls, about a culture that is silenced". The film was handed over to the management on the day when the Soviet troops entered Prague. As a result, he was put "on the shelf", and the director was handed a summons to the army the next day and assigned to the Navy with the rank of platoon commander of a battery of rocket launchers. Khrzhanovsky decided to "see the world" and moved to an infantry company heading to the war zone, where he served for two years. During the perestroika period, when the screening of "shelf" films became one of the program points of the new leadership of the Union of Cinematographers, it suddenly became clear that there was not enough film for the circulation of "Harmonica", and the premiere was postponed again. Among his works, he highlights "Pushkiniana" - cartoons based on the works of Alexander Pushkin "In the World of the Fables"(1973) and "It's a Wonderful Day" (1975), as well as the biographical trilogy "I Am Tlying to You as a Memory..." (1977), "With You I Am Again..." (1980) and "Autumn" (1982) based on drawings and drafts of the poet, in 1987 combined into one full-length film "My Favorite Time". In addition, he owns films based on drawings by Sergei Barkhin ("The Lion with the White Beard", 1995), Federico Fellini ("The Long Yourney", 1997), and Joseph Brodsky ("A Cat and a Half", 2002). Subsequently, the idea was developed in the full-length film "A Room and a Half" (2009). All four films were awarded the Nika film awards, as well as various international awards. From 1988 to 1990, Hrzhanovsky headed the creative association "Search" at Soyuzmultfilm, and was a member of the Studio's Artistic Council. Since 1982, he has been teaching at "VGIK", head of the department of animated film directing. In 1993, together with Eduard Nazarov, Yuri Norstein and Fyodor Khitruk, he organized the "SHAR School-Studio" for the production of cartoons and training of professional animators, where he holds the positions of artistic director, chairman of the board of founders and teacher of directing.
Known For
An exploration of 20th century Russia, following the fusing of the Party and the state after the Russian Civil War, which opened the doors to corruption, resulting in the exiling of the left and right opposition. Described using a combination of historical settings, biographies and masterpieces from Russian avant-garde artists, composers and writers from this period in history.
The Nose or Conspiracy of Mavericks
Volume 1 (1962-1968): "Story of One Crime", "Man in the Frame", "My Green Crocodile", "There Lived Kozyavin", "Mountain of Dinosaurs", "Passion of Spies", "Glass Harmonica", "Ball of Wool", "Singing Teacher", "Film, Film, Film".
Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 1
A semi-fictional account of the life of Russian poet Joseph Brodsky, who was forced into American exile in 1972.
A Room and a Half
Story about the cow with the crumpled horn that tossed the dog that worried the cat that killed the rat that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built.
The House That Jack Built
An animated film in two parts, about the tragic fate of Estonian artist Ülo Sooster and about his work.
School of Fine Arts
It is a comedy film which is put on the motives of A. Milne's known poem in S. J. A. Marshak's translation. It tells us how for the sake of trifling whim of whimsical king the whole kingdom was agitated.
The King's Sandwich
Blending drawings, paintings, filmed interviews, and recorded testimony, this animation-documentary hybrid tells of the tragic fate of the Estonian artist Ülo Sooster.
School of Fine Arts. Juniper Landscape
The second part of the duology on the famous Estonian artist Ülo Sooster continues his life story, paying homage to many other great artists who were spiritually consonant with his work.
School of Fine Arts. Return
The film is based on the drawings and manuscripts of A.S.Pushkin.
I Am Flying to You as a Memory...
The third film of the biographical cycle based on Pushkin's drawings and texts.
Autumn
A craftsman builds a glass harmonica that enlightens him. He travels to a town where the people are obsessed with money. A bureaucrat smashes the glass harmonica which leads to chaos and eventually to social reform.
The Glass Harmonica
Kozyavin is ordered by his boss one day to find a man named Sidorov, and is pointed in a particular direction. The employee follows the indicated direction unswervingly to find him, encountering various obstacles along the way.
There Lived Kozyavin
An animated film based on the tale of Tonino Guerra, telling the story of the once famous circus duet - the lion and its owner, the story of how the famous lion Amadeo performed in the traveling circus of Signor Peretti.
The Lion with the White Beard
An animated film for children about how a Clown and the guys argued about who is the bigger inventor and entertainer.
Wonders
The cartoon is based on several Krylov's fables.
In the World of the Fables
The film is a journey through a fantastic country in which the erotic images of the films of the great Federico Fellini came to life, and Tonino Guerra himself acted as a guide. The heroes of the maestro’s paintings are sailing on a ship to the Enchanted Island. There everyone goes ashore except two - Federico Fellini and Juliet Mazina. Their wanderings continue.
The Long Yourney
Vasilisa the Beautiful is kidnapped by an evil force that has invaded her kingdom. Prince Ivan fails when he tries to save her and the kingdom. He decides to seek help from the mighty firebird.
The Firebird
A full-length animated film based on drawings by Alexander Pushkin, which includes all three pictures of Andrey Khrzhanovsky's Pushkin trilogy: "I Am Flying to You as a Memory..." (1977), "With You I Am Again..." (1980) and "Autumn" (1982).
My Favorite Time
The second part of a trilogy of films based on Pushkin's drawings, poems and letters.
With You I Am Again...
Volume 2 (1969-1978): "Ballerina on the Boat", "Seasons", "Armoire", "The Battle of Kerzhenets", "Butterfly", "Island", "Fox and Rabbit", "The Heron and the Crane", "Hedgehog in the Fog", "Crane's Feathers", "Firing Range" Contact