Virtual Friday Night Films at the Wende: Mystery of the Third Planet

During summer vacation in July 2181, Alice and her professor father set out on an intergalactic journey to find rare species of animals for the Moscow Zoo. This kid-friendly animated pick was produced by Soyuzmultfim studio and was directed by Roman Kachanov, best known for directing the Cheburashka series of stop motion cartoons. This week’s selection connects with the Song-A-Day: Soviet Electronic Music playlist, which includes a song from the soundtrack.

The soundtrack was composed by Alexander Zatsepin, born in Siberia in 1924. The music needed to be otherworldly, of course, and Zatsepin had dabbled with radio technology and electronic sound since his youth. By his own admission, living in Novosibirsk meant that contemporary musical instruments were impossible to attain. Everything was DIY. Even when he got his hands on a Minimoog, he used it as inspiration to build his own version of a mellotron. The resulting combination of traditional stringed instruments and electronic experimentation in this feature reflects two sides of Russian music in the late 1970s and early 1980s: public prestige and private tinkering. Grand limitations and tiny freedoms, a duality that suits the film’s overall plot. Although the travelers are on an official mission to space, the journey’s true significance is revealed in all the private, magical discoveries en route.

Watch the film here with English subtitles. The dubbed and re-edited official 1995 US release (does not include the original soundtrack) can be found here.

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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.