Village of Idiots
Encyclopedia
Village of Idiots is a short animated comedy
based on the classic Jewish, humorous, folk tales of Chełm made by animators/directors Eugene Fedorenko and Rose Newlove with the National Film Board of Canada
(NFB). Fedorenko is the Academy Award-winning animator of the 1979 NFB short Every Child
.
With muted, mesmerizing illustrations and heavy accordion-based music, the film follows Shmendrick as he sets out on a journey away from home for the first time. But along his journey from Chełm to Warsaw
, he comes upon a city that is eerily similar to the one he left behind. The rest of us might think Shmendrik just took a wrong turn and ended up back home, but for Shmendrik, this discovery sheds light on holy teachings: “The Talmud
tells us that the world everywhere is the same,” he recalls.
It was also included in the Animation Show of Shows
.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
based on the classic Jewish, humorous, folk tales of Chełm made by animators/directors Eugene Fedorenko and Rose Newlove with the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
(NFB). Fedorenko is the Academy Award-winning animator of the 1979 NFB short Every Child
Every Child (film)
Every Child is an animated short film produced in 1979 by the National Film Board of Canada in association with UNICEF.This is a film without words, incorporating sounds by Les Mîmes Électriques .-Description:...
.
Summary
“Outsiders call Chelm the village of idiots,” Shmendrick explains, “but our rabbi said we were a city of natural geniuses, with our own way of figuring things out.”With muted, mesmerizing illustrations and heavy accordion-based music, the film follows Shmendrick as he sets out on a journey away from home for the first time. But along his journey from Chełm to Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, he comes upon a city that is eerily similar to the one he left behind. The rest of us might think Shmendrik just took a wrong turn and ended up back home, but for Shmendrik, this discovery sheds light on holy teachings: “The Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
tells us that the world everywhere is the same,” he recalls.
Awards
Village of Idiots won awards at eight film festivals:- Best Animated Short film at the Genie Awards
- Two directing awards at the Montreal World Film FestivalMontreal World Film FestivalThe Montreal World Film Festival , founded in 1977, is one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF...
- Won Animation at the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival
- Centaur Award at the St. Petersburg Message to Man Film Festival
- Best Animated Film at the Vancouver International Film FestivalVancouver International Film FestivalThe Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
- Won an award from the Writers Guild of CanadaWriters Guild of CanadaThe Writers Guild of Canada represents more than 1,800 professional writers working in film, television, radio, and multimedia production in Canada...
- Second prize at the Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films
It was also included in the Animation Show of Shows
Animation show of shows
The Animation Show of Shows is a traveling selection of the year's best animated short films, curated and presented by Acme Filmworks founder, Ron Diamond. It began in 1998 with the aim of showing the most original, funny, intelligent short animated films from all over the world and presenting them...
.
See also
- The Witch from Melchet StreetThe Witch from Melchet StreetThe Witch from Melchet Street is a 2005 Israeli modern-day urban fairy tale about magic and first love. It's based on a book by Israeli author Gadi Taub and is geared towards both children and adults as it tells the story of the magical summer that Assaf fell in love for the first time with a...
- A Story about a Bad DreamA Story about a Bad DreamA Story about a Bad Dream was made in 2000 by director Pavel Stingl and brings to life the diary of Eva Erbenova, a little girl who survived the Holocaust...
- Alan and Naomi