Почта | 1929 | Animation, Short

Title: Почта | 1929 | Animation, Short Director: Михаил Цехановский Studio: Ленинградская фабрика «Совкино» Based on: Поэма «Почта» Самуила Маршака Release Date: 25 November 1929 Runtime: 15 Format: Silent, black-and-white; hand-drawn and cutout animation Country: Soviet Union Language: Russian intertitles Genres: Animation, Short --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Prologue and letter written 00:03:00 Sorting and dispatch 00:06:00 Journey across borders 00:09:00 Missed connections 00:12:00 Return to Leningrad 00:14:00 Delivery at last --- Summary: A letter addressed to the traveler Boris Prutков pursues him from country to country, always a step behind. Through dynamic, constructivist-inspired imagery, the film follows postal routes, transport, and geography as the missive traverses oceans and continents before finally catching up with its addressee in Leningrad. Adapted from Samuil Marshak’s children’s poem, the short uses rhythmic montage and bold graphic design to visualize the speed, order, and occasional absurdity of modern communications, emphasizing motion and timing over dialogue in its silent form. --- Background: Produced at the Leningrad factory of Sovkino, Post was the debut film of book illustrator Mikhail Tsekhanovsky, who translated his 1927 illustrations for Marshak’s poem into motion using a mix of hand-drawn and cutout animation. Released on November 25, 1929 as a silent, black-and-white short, it later appeared in a 1930 sound version with narration by Daniil Kharms and music by Vladimir Deshevov; a hand-colored positive print also circulated. The film became a landmark for Soviet animation, widely exhibited domestically and abroad. --- Trivia: The 1929 silent version credits the traveler as Boris Prutkov, whereas Marshak’s original poem addressed writer Boris Zhitков. Animation combines hand-drawn techniques with cutout animation, then known in Russia as “flat marionettes.” Critics noted the film’s novel diagonal framings and precise synchronization of movement to verse rhythms, qualities emphasized further in the later sound version. A widescreen authorial remake by Tsekhanovsky and Vera Tsekhanovskaya was produced in 1964 at Soyuzmultfilm. Post is frequently cited as the first Soviet animated film to achieve mass release and broad international exhibition. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: 25 November 1929 Original Studio / Distributor: Ленинградская фабрика «Совкино» Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: Почта 1929 немоекино советскаяанимация SamuilMarshak MikhailTsekhanovsky PublicDomain Source page: htthttps: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%9F%D0%BE%D1%87%D1%82%D0%B0_(1929,_%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%B9).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/%D0%9F%D0%BE%D1%87%D1%82%D0%B0_%281929%2C_%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%B9%29.webm