The world premiere of Eva Cvijanović’s Hedgehog’s Home will take place in the Generation Kplus competition program at the 67th Berlinale Festival, February 9–19, 2017. The film is based on a popular ex-Yugoslav children’s story written by Branko Ćopić, and it is co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and Bonobostudio. It is NFB’s first collaboration with one Croatian studio in the past forty years.

10-minute stop-animation Hedgehog’s Home is a translation of the original poem into the medium of film, and it is made in three languages: a world famous actor Rade Šerbedžija (The Saint, Eyes Wide Shut, Downton Abbey) narrates the Croatian version; Kenneth Welsh (Twin Peaks) narrates the English story; and an actress France Castel did the French version.

Ivana Bošnjak and Thomas Johnson (Simulacra) were the main animators, and the film’s director Eva joined them in the process of puppet modelling. The puppet and animation advisor was Tim Allen, who worked with authors such as Tim Burton and Wes Anderson. Music was composed by Darko Rundek, a well-known Croatian composer and songwriter.

Hedgehog’s Home is a heartfelt story about a brave Hedgehog and his forest adventures. He has taught many generations in this part of the world about the value of home, and we are hoping that an animated film will do the same for the viewers all around the globe.  

This is Eva Cvijanović’s third animated film who graduated from Concordia University. She says about Hedgehog’s Home: “This is a story about a basic concept which I find very important today, in the context of our global village: home can be a place, but it’s also a feeling we share with others. The experience of home is common across different cultures and generations, and it’s always equally important. That space, a sanctuary and a reflection of our identity, is a key element in our lives. This is why today – after I have lived in many different ‘homes’ – this story still resonates in me as it did when I heard it for the first time as a kid.”