With all the present-day ugliness continuing far too long, here’s something to remind us of the beauty that can be created.

From 1981, here is Roman Kachanov’s beautifully animated children’s story, The Mystery of the Third Planet, in its original form. With subtitles, yet!

Based on one of the Alisa Selezneva series of children’s books by screenplay writer Kir Bulychev, Kachanov’s film is beautfully animated using traditional cel animation techniques. No made-for-TV 4-frames-per-second job is this, the animation is technically spectacular. While parts are most likely rotoscoped, most of the film is not, demonstrating the grasp Kachanov and crew had on the art of movement.

Natalya Orlova’s art direction and character design is a wonderful mix of Heinz Edelmann and eastern european design of the time (being mid-to late 1970s when production started). In my less-than-humble opinion, it is always refreshing seeing a style that isn’t merely a Disney or Anime retread.

And dig that crazy sov-synth soundtrack by composer Aleksandr Zatsepin, (from the Wikipedia article) often described as a milestone in Soviet electronic music.

Alternate Google-free Link: https://iv.melmac.space/watch?v=DBOVmZgLsxk&t=206&iv_load_policy=1