Short Film: Bone Mother

Directed by Dale Hayward and Sylvie Trouvé, and released in 2018, this stop motion animation, whose parts were 3D printed, comes in at around the 8-minute mark. It features Baba Yaga (Renee Madeline Le Guerrier) – always a favourite, though she is a witch and not a vampire of course.

The film tells us about two sets of water – the waters of life and the waters of death. Baba Yaga is the guardian of both. Her giant, ambulatory house is made out of bones in this.

A masked horseman, Vladislav (Rafael Petardi), comes to her gate. Removing his mask we see that he is a handsome youth but has a mallen streak in his hair, a sign that age is beginning to stalk him. He enters the house with a bold request – he wants to taste the waters of life and is aware that she is the guardian. She will not part with them but he does have something she wants – his bones. However, he tells her that he will lead her to more bones.

Vladislav and Baba Yaga

Does he have a trick up his sleeve? And how does the vampire aspect come into this? The film is embedded below for you to find out, but it is worth noting that we do see the house stand – on legs of bone – and we also see Baba Yaga flying in her cauldron. The animation is well done and the story short, sweet and to the point. Worth having a look, all told.

Bone Mother from National Film Board of Canada on Vimeo.