I’ve linked to this video before on blog.vancereeser.com, but I recently read an interview with master Russian animator Yuri Norstein (which I guess is the simple english version of his actual name, Yuriy Norshteyn?) and it made me want to re-watch it. I thought I would share the video once again and link to the article because it is a fascinating look into his approach to filmmaking and his outlook on life in general.
Its quite a long interview so I grabbed a few snippets. If you have the time and like his work I’d encourage you to make some hot tea and give it a read.
“Mastery is when one needed path replaces a whole bunch of unneeded paths. You come to the truth only when you achieve mastery.”
–Yuri Norstein
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“‘Saint Seraphim of Sarov, who owned nothing and lived in the wilderness, where he stood on a rock for 1000 days and nights and ate only grass, was beaten almost to death by some robbers.’
–Russian journal Kino Art
‘Yes, and he didn’t even fight back while they were beating him.’
–Yuri Norstein
‘When Seraphim was attacked, he had with him an axe that he used to cut trees. But he not only didn’t use it, he didn’t fight. Even though he was very strong. The Diveyevsk Monastery still retains the extra-large rags he wore, and his heavy hoe. After he was beaten and they hit his head, he became even more hunched. When the robbers were found, he forgave them and asked for their freedom.’
–Kino Art
‘Now that is a feat. Or maybe not a feat, just a way of life. He didn’t think about it as a feat. It was the natural course of action for a holy man.’”
–Yuri Norstein