Once Upon a Dog

Once Upon a Dog (Once Upon a Time There Lived a Dog, Russian: "Жил-был пёс" (Zhil-byl pyos)) is an acclaimed Soviet animated cartoon, adapted from a Ukrainian folk tale.[1]

Once Upon a Dog
Zhil-byl pyos
GenreAnimated cartoon
Directed byEduard Nazarov
Country of origin Soviet Union
Original language(s)Russian
Production
Producer(s)Soyuzmultfilm
Editor(s)Yelena Mikhaylova
Running time10 min 36 sec
Release
Original release1982

The cartoon won the first place at the 1983 International Film Festival in Odense and a special prize at the 1983 festival in Annecy.[2]

Plot

The day comes when an old watchdog becomes useless but the masters, being kind, decide not to drive him away. However, they become exasperated when the Dog is indifferent during a burglary. The Dog is kicked out and goes to the forest, where he meets the Wolf, his old enemy. The Dog and the Wolf are both old, so they understand they can't be just enemies forever. The Wolf stages a kidnapping to help his mate and the Dog "rescues" the child. The Dog is welcomed back to the khutor (the farmstead) and continues with his old duty. The winter comes and one evening the Dog hears the howl of the Wolf. The Dog remembers to repay the Wolf's kindness. He helps the Wolf to enter the house where there is a wedding in progress and takes him different kinds of food from the table. Becoming tipsy from the effects of a large meal, alcohol and a warm house, the Wolf starts to howl his "song". He howls and the Dog has to cast the mate away from the house. The Wolf thanks the Dog and the best friends bid farewell.

The story reveals the problem of becoming old and useless. It appeals to everyone's ability for mutual readiness to help, despite past history.

Credits

The cartoon repeatedly features the Ukrainian folk songs "Oy tam na hori" ("Oh, there at the mountain") and "Ta kosyv batko, kosyv ya" ("My father and I were mowing") performed by "Drevo" folk choir from Kriachkivka village of Pyriatyn District, Poltava Region. The Dog was voiced by Georgi Burkov and the Wolf by Armen Dzhigarkhanyan. Animators – Anatoly Abarenov, Natalia Bogomolova, Sergey Dezhkin, operator – Mikhail Druyan, sound producer – Andrey Filchikov.

A steel monument to the Wolf was placed in 2005 in Tomsk and a copy was made in 2007 in Angarsk.[3] The monument is unofficially called "Monument to Happiness".

Notes
  1. "Keyframeonline.com". Archived from the original on 2011-05-18. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  2. "Russiancinema.ru". Archived from the original on 2011-08-26. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
  3. About the monument to the Wolf in Angarsk
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