Rusalka (1996)

Original title

Русалка

Directed by

Aleksandr Petrov

Genre

fantasy

Country

Russia

Runtime

10 min

Rating

6.9 of 10 from 53 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This animated short film draws on Slavic folklore about rusalki, the vengeful spirits of drowned women. It tells a story centered on one such mermaid, a dangerous creature born from betrayal and tragedy.

melancholicdreamlikeunsettlingvisually lushslow-burnpoeticdarkwistfulhaunting

What happens

Mermaid (Russian: Русалка, translit. Rusalka) is a 1996 Russian animated short film directed by Aleksandr Petrov and showcasing the paint-on-glass animation technique for which Petrov is known. The story is based on traditional Slavic folklore about the rusalki, river-dwelling mermaids said to be "born" from the unhappy souls of young women who had committed suicide by drowning—usually after being mistreated by a man. The Russian "mermaid" is, for this reason, a dangerous creature more akin to the Greek sirens than to the American archetype such as Walt Disney Animation Studios' cute and lovable Ariel. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

• The Strings (1996)
• Бабушка (1996)
• The Brave King (1996)
• Не скажу! (2006)
• Once by the Blue Sea (1998)
• Кошки под дождём
• The Mystery of Snow Queen (2015)
• Лягушка-путешественница (1996)