Virtual Friday Night Films at the Wende: Gena the Crocodile

Generations of children have grown up with the classic Soviet stop motion animation series Cheburashka, directed by Roman Kachanov and adapted from Eduard Uspensky’s children’s stories. The four short films (1969–83) tell tales about fitting in and friendship. In the first film, the accordion-playing Crocodile Gena, who “works” at the zoo, posts handwritten advertisements all over town in order to find friends. He meets the misfit Cheburashka, a floppy-eared creature who came to Russia by accident in a box of oranges. Cheburashka remains an enduring cultural icon in Eastern Europe and has achieved international fame.

This week’s film selection is presented in conjunction with the Cold War Spaces lunchtime talk on Animal Space: The Cold War of the Berlin Zoos.

Available to watch for free on YouTube.

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Virtual Film Picks are inspired by the in-person Friday Night Films at the Wende program series. This selection is part of a curated list of weekly movie suggestions that can be watched at home, in conjunction with #WendeOnline.