FLEUR DE FOUGERE (1949)
aka Flower of the Fern
Article 5216 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 7-28-2016
Directed by Wladyslaw Starewicz
Voice cast unknown
Country: France
What it is: Animated fairy tale

A young boy seeks a flower in an enchanted forest that will grant him his greatest wish; to meet Cinderella.

Since the copy I found of this one was in French without English subtitles, I had a little trouble following the story until I read a plot summary afterwards. However, it doesn’t really matter; all you really need to know is that it is the work of Wladyslaw Starewicz, who, with every work I see of his, seems destined to be in my opinion the single finest animator who ever lived. He still dabbles in the insects that were his initial subjects for animation, but in this one, there are all manners of creatures, as well as humans. We see trees coming to life and chasing the main character, mushrooms and pine cones sprouting faces and singing, various animals interacting at a banquet… quite frankly, I’m amazed at his creativity. He has a way of transporting you to other worlds which in some ways seem as real as our own. This is a lovely film.