7) The Cat and The Tree

Another pencil sketch cartoon. This one makes me cry every time I see – perhaps I sympathize with the tree too much. Created by Evgeniy Sivokon’ in 1983, it tells a story of an old lonely tree, and a young cat, who gets thrown out by her owners and wants to learn to live independently. The experience of living together changes both of them, and, as the film has it, “if it wasn’t for the cat, the tree wouldn’t have its story.” The catch in this one is in the behind-the-screen narration (which is, of course, in Russian, but the subtitles should help). A very philosophical cartoon, and one of the saddest among all I have seen. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl3xoKrgabY