About this Event
7th House is incredibly proud to present a momentous evening of the films of the great Yuri Norstein, featuring the LA premiere of the new restorations of his collected works!
Widely regarded as one of the greatest animators in the history of cinema, Russian filmmaker Yuri Norstein has, over the course of just a handful of films, created a body of work that stands among the medium’s most poetic and profound achievements. Using a painstaking, hand-crafted multi-plane animation technique—layering cut-paper figures across panes of glass to create an extraordinary sense of depth and atmosphere—Norstein developed a visual language unlike any other in animation. His films possess a three-dimensional, dreamlike quality: images suspended in shadow and light, drifting between the remembered world of childhood and philosophical reflection.
This Los Angeles premiere of new restorations, lovingly restored by Deaf Crocodile in collaboration with Seagull Films, brings together Norstein’s celebrated shorts for a rare, feature-length theatrical presentation. From the folkloric wit of THE FOX AND THE HARE and THE HERON AND THE CRANE to the haunting historical imagery of THE BATTLE OF KERZHENETS and the quietly monumental TALE OF TALES, these works move with a gentleness and emotional clarity that belie their formal sophistication. Few animated films have achieved the reverence afforded HEDGEHOG IN THE FOG, his best-known work—frequently cited in international polls as the greatest animated film ever made—and Norstein’s influence can be felt across generations of filmmakers, including Hayao Miyazaki, who has long cited him as a formative inspiration.
Tender, searching, and deeply humane, Norstein’s films unfold like fragments of remembered experience: seasons passing, music drifting through time, moments of solitude and wonder held in luminous suspension. Their philosophical undercurrents—meditations on memory, history, love, and the interior life—emerge not through narrative exposition but through image, rhythm, and feeling. Visually, these films inhabit a world of mist, lamplight, winter landscapes, and softly rendered interiors, where figures move through delicately layered spaces of texture and atmosphere—an aesthetic shaped in close collaboration with Norstein’s wife and longtime artistic partner, Francheska Yarbusova, whose designs and painterly sensibility have been central to the warm beauty and visual identity of his cinema. Each film offers a small world rendered with extraordinary care; together they form one of cinema’s most quietly monumental oeuvres.
A special one-night-only theatrical event, Snow on Grass—its title drawn from Norstein’s book of the same name—offers a rare opportunity to encounter these masterworks as they were meant to be seen: in the shared space of the cinema, where their beauty, quiet magic, and emotional resonance can fully unfold.
Dir. Yuri Norstein, 111 mins. — presented with intermission, Russia, Russian w/ English subtitles, Digital.
THE 25TH, THE FIRST DAY (1968, 9 mins.)
SEASONS (1969, 9 mins.)
CHILDREN AND MATCHES (1969, 5 mins.)
THE BATTLE OF KERZHENETS (1971, 10 mins.)
THE FOX & THE HARE (1973, 12 mins)
THE HERON & THE CRANE (1974, 10 mins.)
HEDGEHOG IN THE FOG (1975, 11 mins.)
A DAY BEFORE OUR ERA (1977, 6 mins.)
THE TALE OF TALES (1979, 29 mins.)
Special thanks to American Genre Film Archive, Deaf Crocodile, and Seagull Films.
TICKETS: $12 (In Person Event Only)
Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.
ADVISORY DISCLAIMER
With some exception, The Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House Screenings does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. Please be sure to read event listings, research on the web, or visit Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com for thorough info on content and age-appropriateness. If you have any specific content advisory questions, please email [email protected].
CONTENT DISCLAIMER
The views, opinions, and thoughts expressed within exhibited works are solely those of their creators and may not represent those of the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with PRS. Screenings are intended for educational and entertainment purposes.
ACCESSIBILITY
PRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to [email protected] before showtime and we will be happy to assist you.
REFUND POLICIES
All sales are final. There are no refunds for PRS events , except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test. Ticket exchanges may be granted on a case by case basis, pending circumstances.
In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event.
PARKING
We encourage attendees to consider carpooling, walking or biking to events if possible, and please be considerate of our Los Feliz neighbors when parking. Nearby street parking is available, as well as limited parking onsite at PRS in the front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east).
PRS EVENT POLICIES
- We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
- Events are subject to change without notice, including guest speakers and/or performers.
- We encourage you to arrive at least 30 min. before the scheduled event start time to find parking, enjoy the Bookstore and take your seats.
- Please turn off all mobile devices before the show. Talking and texting are not allowed during the events.
- No filming, audio recording or mobile phone recording of events, screenings, concerts or other programs by audience members is allowed without permission.
- There is no smoking permitted on PRS grounds.
- We strongly encourage guests to wear masks to PRS events to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
- PRS allows Service Animals into the facility under ADA and state guidelines. For further details please visit www.ADA.gov. No animals permitted whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support, under ADA guidelines and CA Health Code.
- Please do not bring outside food or drink into PRS events.
- Weapons are strictly prohibited at PRS events.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States
USD 14.64
