Hedgehog in the Fog is classic animation with an eerie premise and unique art style. It was this type of cartoon that inspired a legion of fans including the brothers Bolex and Quay and contemporaries like Jan Svankmajer which in turn inspired Radiohead to make their stunning music video to There There.

The animation is creepy and slightly unsettling, sort of like the weird Moomins stop motion which scared me as a kid in the 80's. The story itself is very simple; a hedgehog is going to see his friend the bear in the evening with a gift of a jam sandwich, the problem is that it's a foggy night and he sees things that frighten him from the shadows. During his journey he has a chance encounter with a very special creature, which I won't spoil for you here, and it changes him forever.

If I was go to go all allegorical I think the whole animation is about the transition from childhood to adulthood and how we are changed by a certain moment in our life, it may not seem special at the time but we are forever changed. I may be reading wayyy to much into it but it was a hugely influential piece of art, considered to be the finest piece of Russian animation by Yuri Norstein. Looking at it now, about 40 years after it was created I can still say that it is an impressive piece of work that has stood the test of time well. Some of the animation techniques are impressive and the visuals are sumptuous and are to be savoured. It's available for free on YouTube and has English subs so check it out!