Matrioska

Here is a blast from the past – created by the National Film Board of Canada in back in 1970.  As such you may have seen it before, or at least remember something like it! I certainly do, I would swear that I remember this as a filler between Saturday morning kids' shows when I was a child. The uncertainty, though, adds to the pleasure of this simple stop motion animation as if this is not why I remember it then I have no idea why it is so familiar!

The matrioska, or Russian Doll, is a tradition going back to 1890 when it was invented. The trick is to get as many hollow dolls as possible, one inside the other – it can be as many as you like, the only rule being that the number has to be odd.

This is a very cool animation. It may seem a little clunky to our eyes now, being over forty years old but I love the way that the dolls keep their Russian reserve throughout, even when the smallest one can’t quite get the steps right!