This is a Soviet animated film that, nearly half a century later, is still shown to children, and its ending is frequently quoted. “Winnie the Pooh”? “Cheburashka”? No! This is “Hedgehog in the Fog.” Director Yuri Norstein created a 10-minute animated film about how a little hedgehog wanders, hoping to meet with Bear Cub. Remember Hayao Miyazaki—the world’s greatest animator? This cartoon is cited as an inspiration for the Japanese animator. The work was truly challenging. For instance, initially, the “Soyuzmultfilm” studio didn’t even provide a filming machine. The director and his team had to secure this equipment on their own. The film uses an unusual technique to create fog. Think it’s simple? Not really. Dust was applied to a transparent film, and the character was placed on a lower layer. The setup consisted of no less than eight levels—different “degrees of fogginess.” The film is filled with various symbols and associations for viewers. For example, in the opening scene, you can notice a reference to Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1972 film “Solaris.” Yuri Norstein was a big fan of his work. It’s worth noting that in 2003, “Hedgehog in the Fog” was recognized as the best animated film of all time at the “Laputa” International Animation Festival in Japan.