Commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and Arts of Ukraine
Ukranimafilm
On warm sunny days in moist places,
if you look carefully,
you may see a snail.
Snails are weak, helpless creatures who move very slowly,
and who therefore carry their home on their backs - their shell.
A HOME FOR A SNAIL
Moreover, snails are also edible
and some insist that they are very tasty!
It sometimes happens that snails lose their home
and then they become very speedy,
since they're surrounded by a predatory and hungry world in which it is easy to become prey.
Sometimes snails gather in huge numbers, organizing what are basically cities.
Snails who have lost their home
can take up residence in any suitable object.
Vacant homes in such places are a huge rarity!
As soon as any home becomes vacant there,
someone will immediately take up residence in it.
In these places, homes can have two rooms,
or three rooms,
or even multiple floors.
A home may be made of any hollow object
or place which one's small, tasty body can squeeze into.
Go away!
DIOGENES
Some homes are easy to get into
but very difficult to get out of.
And some snails take up residence in, to put it mildly,
less-than-favourable conditions.
Even in prison, there simply weren't any free spots!
A snail with no home is a tasty prey
and predators may turn out to be fairly resourceful and quick-witted,
despite everything.
Therefore, weak and helpless creatures who have lost their home
must be very, very quick!
The life of a homeless snail is an endless series of escapades!
It is one big marathon in search of home.
A constant battle for their place under the sun,
an endless life-and-death competition.
Victory goes to the most quick and quick-witted.
Such are the rules of the game in that community of small, helpless creatures.
In times of danger,
snails can separate into a multitude of small, elemental beings -
for example, in order to overcome some hurdle.
But most scientists figure that this is mere fable, fib and superstition.
"My home is my fortress" -
that's what snails who have finally gotten home say.
The snail shell is a very complicated construction
that is maximally adapted to the life of a small and helpless creature.
Its most important function
is to protect the animal from external infringements on its peace and safety.
Waiting for... ...has disqualified...
You have been watching the program "From the Lives of Animals".
Until next time!
screenwriter and director O. Pedan
art director I. Kotkov composer O. Sparinskiy
camera O. Nikolayenko sound V. Pashkevich
character design and fabrication O. Pedan, I. Kotkov
animators S. Melnichenko, O. Pedan
digital processing V. Radkevich, G. Nikonova, I. Krivonos
artists A. Radchenko, V. Gahun, Ya. Rudenko
narrator Yu. Kovalenko ass. director L. Skroybizh
montage L. Mokrousova script editor S. Kutsenko
production director V. Kilinskiy
THE END
Ministry of Culture and Arts of Ukraine 2005
subtitles by Niffiwan @ animatsiya.net (2023)