Yuriy Norshteyn is a Soviet and Russian animator best known for his animated shorts Hedgehog in the Fog and Tale of Tales. According to the Washington Post, “he is considered by many to be not just the best animator of his era, but the best of all time”.

Forty years ago (1981), Norshteyn began work on an ambitious adaptation of The Overcoat by noted Russian writer Nikolai Gogol, but the project stalled and has been shelved for many years. A Japanese film crew visited Norshteyn’s studio in Moscow and found there mountains of sketches, character studies and a shooting table covered with dust. When will his much-awaited The Overcoat be finally completed? In this new documentary, Norshteyn talks about its current status and the anguish and passion that has gone into its creation.

Making the Overcoat

The Animators Who’ve Spent 40 Years on a Single Film