Рождество
Mikhail Aldashin’s pictorial meditation on the Nativity is so enchanting, so full of loveliness that it is an asceticism to keep it just for Christmas. This cartoon, made in 1996, is in the best sense naïf; that is, capable of seeing reality as it is, yet gloriously illumined. Works such as this one remind us what wonder means. It is vital to keep that faculty alive. Without it our view of the world is contorted, warped. For all its simplicity, which makes the story accessible to all, Aldashin’s film is full of subtle allusions to Biblical typologies, expository narratives, and great works of art. It makes us want to join the angelic band, even if our instrumental skill does not extend beyond the triangle. What does it matter! You can watch the film here.
