#crane feathers

[hersadexistence]

Crane Feathers, Garanina Ideya, 1977

[toytheatre]

Crane Feathers, a Russian puppet film from 1977, is based on a Japanese folktale known as Tsuru no Ongaeshi. In the tale, an elderly man rescues an injured crane, who returns in the form of a young woman to repay the man and his wife. She looks after them, and weaves a beautiful cloth that sells for good money. She is adopted by the couple and they live happily until, in this version of the tale, the couple is approached by a wealthy man demanding another high quality cloth. The girl pleads with them, saying she cannot weave another, but the man becomes very angry and forces them to comply. The girl goes to weave and, after a while, the impatient visitor throws open the door to discover a crane plucking its own bloody feathers to make the cloth. The girl quickly transforms back and is mortified, before transforming yet again into the crane and flying away, leaving the elderly couple to grieve for the daughter they had so little time with.

[hersadexistence]

Crane Feathers, Garanina Ideya, 1977

[hersadexistence]

Crane Feathers, Garanina Ideya, 1977

[toytheatre]

Crane Feathers, 1977 (dir. Ideya Garanina)

[toytheatre]

Crane Feathers, 1977 (dir. Ideya Garanina)